


Fuck yeah, Disney!

by SophieRosina, thebeastinsideusall



Series: The Many Misadventures of Sophie and Mia [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Punisher (Comics), The Punisher (TV 2017), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Apocalypse, Disney, Disney is empty, F/M, Frank feels, Frank gets some, Frank meets Shane, Fun, Have you seen his arms?, He is to be worshipped, Its got a FCKING moat!, Jon Bernthal is a god, Jon Bernthal's Punisher, Jon Bernthal's Shane Walsh, Just assholes, Shower Sex, Smut, Some Fluff, Twin characters, frank and Shane meet?!, no zombies, we can't live without them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:38:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 51
Words: 27,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieRosina/pseuds/SophieRosina, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebeastinsideusall/pseuds/thebeastinsideusall
Summary: Sisters seperated by not only distance but now the world went to shit. There's no more government. No more lights. Everyone was on their own now. Luckily, they weren't alone.Mia, the spitfire street walker, finds herself stuck at the hip of the only cop who ever gave a damn about her. Shane Walsh kept her safe.Sophie, hundreds of miles away, made her life as a stripper and yoga instructor. Somehow finds herself in a really bad situation and only one man to help. The Punisher.The Happiest Place on Earth seemed to be the best bet. Who'd have thunk?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so me and my girl basically look like twins and we can't decide who gets Shane or Frank so we made a compromise for this story lol!

Winter may have been the harshest of seasons, but Summer was by far the cruelest.

Sophie couldn’t remember the last time she’d drunk much more than a mouthful of water at a time lately, but what did it matter when she’d only sweat out every drop she’d swallowed just moments later anyway? Despite his attempts at bullshitting her into taking his share – she’d still refused, no matter how hard he’d tried - she could tell Frank was feeling it too, that God-awful sensation of their bodies being baked by the sun from the inside out.

“This _heat_ ,” she lamented. She lifted the hem of her sweat-soaked tank top and swiped fruitlessly at her brow. Her hair stuck to her skin along with her clothes, making her clammy and reminding her exactly why she’d always chosen to go skiing instead of taking beach vacations. “My _sweat_ is sweating.”

Frank chuckled under his breath, boots thudding along beside her as they trudged along in tandem. “Be thankful you ain’t ever been Afghanistan. This ain’t shit compared to that.”

“You start goin’ off about how much better we have it than you did in that shithole, I swear to God, Frank…” Sophie shook her head and fanned herself with her hands to no avail. “Fuck. Don’t even try telling me you’re not sweating your balls off right now.”

“Oh, I am,” he admitted roughly. “Ain’t shit we can do ‘bout it, though.”

“Fucking Hell, man,” Sophie muttered. “How the fuck did I talk you into this?”

Frank shrugged, eyes fixed straight ahead. It had seemed like as good a place as any at the time. Her logic had been solid – a place as big as this was bound to be rife with supplies, once they actually managed to get inside. It wasn’t an obvious choice, so nobody else was likely to have raided it before them either. Visiting Mickey-fuckin’-Mouse wasn’t exactly high on anybody’s priority list after the world had shattered before their very eyes.

“Well, shit,” Sophie groaned at the sight of padlocked gates before them.

Frank rolled his eyes and fired straight through the chains. Bullets always worked better than keys, in his opinion. He quickly worked to pull off the rest of the security measures before pulling open the gates and gesturing for her to go on in.

“Welcome to Disneyland, Mr. Castle!” Sophie teased as she curtseyed on her way through. “Have a magical day!”

“Christ,” Frank muttered. Of all the people in the world, he’d ended up glued at the hip to her. The Punisher and a yoga instructor turned stripper with a mouth almost as bad as the Marines he’d once served with. Who’d’ve thunk?

They certainly hadn’t, even when he’d saved her from a gang of nasty sons-of-bitches who’d tried to rob her of everything she had on her way to find her sister. He’d taken down six of them, but she’d managed to dispatch two, and that was pretty damn impressive considering how small she was. So he’d offered to help get her home, reunite her with her family since he had none left to find. Lisa. Frank Jr. Maria… Gone long before someone had hit the self-destruct button and damned the universe to Hell.

That had been months ago, now. They’d given up the search for her twin after the first had passed. Started trusting each other by the second. The third had them forming a real friendship beyond just surviving together. The fourth… Well, neither of them talked about that. Too messy. Too raw. And then the fifth saw them there, in fucking Disneyland, searching for supplies. The Animal Kingdom, if they got real specific.

Their gamble paid off the moment they crossed the bridge into Discovery Island and forced their way inside the nearest store.

“Fuck yeah!” Sophie cried, grabbing packets of candy from the shelves along with several bottles of water. She threw one to Frank and tore open the first bag of candy, popping a few in her mouth before holding it out for him. He shook his head slightly, but took some anyway before trading her the half-empty bottle of water.

She drunk it quickly, relishing in how the albeit warm liquid calmed her parched throat. Four mouthfuls. That’d last maybe half an hour before joining the rest on her tank top or shorts.

They made their way through the store, filling bags they found behind the counter with as much stuff as they could carry. Frank worked quietly as always, but listened to Sophie mumble and occasionally even laugh when she passed a particular funny souvenir t-shirt.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your… oh…” she read aloud. She held up the t-shirt for Frank to see. It had a T-Rex on the front, looking down sadly at its hands. “Get it? Its arms are too short!”

“Uh-huh.” Frank felt his lips turn up in a fond smile, but hid it quickly. It was hard not to be at least a little closer to happy when she was grinning at him like that. She reminded him a little of Karen Page, even a bit of Maria and Lisa, too. The thought sobered him slightly.

“Hey, Frank?” Sophie called. “What about this on-”

The sound of footsteps had him reacting on instinct, rushing over to yank her behind the nearest display as two voices filtered across from outside.

“… meone’s been here?”

“… way – the place is like a ghost town…”

“Shane, wait…”

Someone pushed open the door and stepped inside. Frank gestured for Sophie to stay down, then quickly peered round the display case.

“Frank!” Sophie hissed as he flicked off the safety of his gun.

“Who’s there?”

Frank was on his feet with his sight trained on the newcomers before they’d got their first word out.

“Shane, don’t!”


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Baby you got to be kidding me." He's sighing and rolling his shoulders. Sweat soaking his muscle tank and his balls are pouring sweat down his thighs. 

It's fuckin hot. 

"It's got a damn moat Shane. How much safer do you get from that?!" Mia's got her hands free from the bow across her shoulder. Gesturing toward a direction that supposedly houses a damned castle. 

He's never been here before sue him. 

"How you suppose we get in then, baby?" He stumps her and she pouts, the one that says she'll come back with a plan. Crazy or not. 

"Well, I was right about this place wasn't I?" she gestures to the empty storefronts around them. 

She was right. He's not sure how but she's right. Disney was fucking empty. Of looters and groups. Utterly empty and untouched in months. 

He's not sure how it all started. How he ended up with her in the first place. 

A sort of relationship formed over the past year with the two of them. She's been busted for weed, dui's and prostitution. And Rick being the pussy he was couldn't handcuff a woman. Well Shane could. And he always liked looking at her. Who wouldn't?

The day shit hit the fan though, she was standing at the edge of her holding cell. Trying to sell her body to get out of her time. When the sirens went off, the news went nuts and then total darkness in a matter of hours. 

Shane was a good cop. He'd admit to that. But in this situation. One cop won't make a difference, so in the confusion he filled a canvas bag up with all the ammo he could and went to run out. 

His feet stopped him in front of her cell as she sat by the bars trembling in fear. They'd forgotten to release her. Hair messed up. Heels broken, make up running. Minuscule clothes covering little of her body and revealing most of her tattooed back.

He'd let her out and she had been stuck to his side ever since...

"Shane the locks are busted on the gate..."

Fuck

"Knew I heard a gunshot!"

.....

 

Shane's gun was staring down the barrel of another pistol. Dark eyes met a mirror image of the colour as Mia grabbed his arm and tried to calm him down. 

Fuck that, she's been attacked too many fucking times for him to be clam with strangers in their vicinity. 

His free hand grabbed her side and pulled her against his back, overly protective and possessive gesture. One that said, mine. In the simplest of terms.

"Shane.." Her voice went low and his grip tightened on her thigh.

The mans eyes narrowed, zeroed in on Mia and Shane didn't like it. Not one fucking bit. He stepped wide forward. Gun now trained on the other mans throat just a yard away. 

"Frank?" A brunette head popped from the shelving, small body barely seen as 'frank' tugged the girl behind his back. An almost mirror image of how Shane was protecting Mia. 

"This your turf?" Frank asked, voice rough. 

Technically it wasn't, yet, Shane had only just given in to Mia's thoughts about the most magical place on earth. They were still scouting for a hideout. But Shane nodded anyways. 

"Put the supplies back." Frank motioned for the girl hidden behind him and Shane heard a whimpered sigh. 

"It's fine..." Shane spoke. Their guns were still trained, both of them sizing up the other. 

Where Shane was curly headed and his beard was just starting to grow out again. Frank was shaved, head and face. Scars littered his hairline showing his battles won. If Shane's was cut that short, he'd have his own on display. 

Frank was massive in size. Thicker in places Shane couldn't get the muscle mass with their little diet. But almost equally fit, damn near identical in build. 

"Do I have to?" The girls voice sounds again and Frank pats her thigh. The bags are dropped to the ground with a rustle. 

Mia's grip on his side tightens and she starts to step from his frame. Peeking out from his bicep at the man with the other gun. Letting herself become a target and show her face. 

Frank's eyes narrow and he lowers his gun a fraction. Gaze leaving Shane's, flickering back and forth for a few moments. 

"You got you're own girl, she's mine." A possessive snarl coming out of his lips. 

"Don't want her." Frank slowly clicks the safety on and lowers his gun. "But she might." He points to the girl behind him."

Shane's eyes narrow but he lowers his gun, worried gaze landing on Mia who's looking wide eyed at the girl peeking from Frank's back. Several moments of silence before both girls rip themselves apart from the men and run to each other. 

"Sophie?!"

"Mia?!"

With an anguished sob they fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs and hair and tears. Hands floating everywhere for injuries or wellbeing. 

"The fuck is going on?" Shane growls, gun still half lowered as he watches Frank's nod the women sobbing on the ground. 

"Shane! Shane it's my sister!" Understanding dawned on his face as he finally caught sight of the other girl. A near identical match of features to his girl. 

"I'll be damned..." He holsters his gun now, still wary of Frank who's got his arms crossed and is leaning on the counter. 

"It's you, fuck it's really you.." Mia's sobbing and hugging her sister so tight it's ripping her twins tank top in the grip. Showcasing the edges of the feathers and ink across her twins backside. 

Shane's eyes narrow and eyebrows raise. Of all the people to run in to, in Disney, fucking Disney. She finds her missing twin sister. Fucking what?


	3. Chapter 3

Frank ducked his head and crossed his right foot over his left, toes pressing hard against the floor as he stared down at it instead of watching the emotional scene in front of him. He'd been there. With Lisa. His little girl. _I knew it, Daddy, I knew it._

"How did you- where were..." Mia stammered out too many questions for Sophie to keep up. "Oh, my God. I can't believe you're here."

"I came back for you," Sophie whispered. "Honest to God, Mia, I looked for you for so long..."

"I know," Mia replied, clutching her close like she never wanted to let go. Never again. "I knew you would, but Shane... he kept me safe."

“Shane?” Sophie looked up at the man. Jesus, he was the spitting image of Frank, but that wasn't what made her frown. "Wait, Shane _Walsh?_ As in, the fucknut Officer who busted you for possession and made me haul my ass down to bail you out?!"

"Guilty as charged," Shane quipped, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

“Jesus, Mia!” Sophie shook her head in disbelief. “How the fuck did that even…”

"It's a long story, but he got me outta there. Everyone else ran, but Shane didn’t - he…" Mia gaped at Frank as her nails dug into Sophie’s arm. "Holy shit, is that the Punisher?"

Sophie groaned. "Don't call him that."

"Frank Castle, ma'am." He straightened up and dipped his chin in acknowledgement. "Nice to finally meet you."

“What the actual… “Mia stared at the two of them, stunned, then hissed, “He’s a serial killer!”

“Of gangsters, rapists and other serial killers!” Sophie reminded her. “And I’d bet my left tit the two of you’ve killed more than three people in the past few months so that’s a moot point – you’re technically a serial killer, too! Even Shane!”

“Christ,” Frank muttered. “You’d make an even worse lawyer than Red.”

“Frank, we already went over this, you’re not a bad-”

“Who’s Red?” Mia was ready to interrogate, but Sophie covered her mouth with her palm to stop her.

“Never mind, never mind! It’s… a long story?” Sophie offered. “Just- he’s cool. Forget the other… thing. He’s my guy, okay?”

Mia slapped Sophie’s hand away. “Your _guy?”_

Shane rubbed his head and sighed. “Darlin’, you got eyes, ain’t ya?”

Sophie cringed.

“Fuck, it’s not like th-” She let out a frustrated noise, refusing to look back at Frank. “He’s got my back, and I got his, that’s all you need to know.”

“Okay,” Mia accepted, “but that doesn’t explain why he looks like Shane.”

“He look nothin’ like me!”

“What the Hell you on about?”

Mia gave Sophie a pointed look.

“Yeah, that’s a little odd,” she admitted. “I’m just gonna call that good taste?”

“So he _is_ your guy!”

Sophie felt her cheeks turn bright red. “Mia, _shut up!”_

That was not a conversation she wanted to be having, not after her and Frank had wandered into that particular territory and almost stepped on a land mine in the process.

"Right, let me get this straight.” Shane stepped forwards, drawing their attention back to him. “Me and Mia. You and the P- Frank. Mind tellin' me how the fuck the two of you knew to come here?"


	4. Chapter 4

4

Mia only shrugs and looks back at her sister with such a happy expression. Her chestnut hair only a few chases lighter then her twins. As Frank and Shane looked at them both they could see the similarities. 

The shape of the nose, the sharpness of the chin. The cheekbones and the way their eyes set. Long lean legs and full chests. No wonder one went to stripping and the other prostitution. They had the bodies for it by the grace of God. 

"Shane we're twins." Mia looks back up at him and in a practiced move they posed while still sitting on the floor. Arms wrapped around the others shoulders, free hands stretched out with peace signs and both of them making a wink face.

"Fuck me." Shane groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face at the sight of them now giggling and laughing at him. Frank doing the same and rolling his eyes at the girls. 

"Okay to answer your question..." Mia paused and looked so serious. "Twin telepathy."

They both busted out laughing and fell to the ground in a heap of limbs and hair again. 

"Oh for fucks sake Mia!" Shane growled and Frank saw the moment she stilled and sobered up her laughter at the tone. 

"It was our favorite place as a kid." She sat up and crossed her legs. "Dad used to bring us here every summer before we got sent back to mom for school." She shrugs and Sophie leans into her sisters side. 

"I can't believe you're here." Another tearful hug and though Shane cared about her, he needed Mia sharp and to calm her ass down. 

"Come on." He reaches down and helps them both up. Catches a glare from Frank at the contact to Sophie.

"Grab whatever you want and we'll head back." He scrubs a hand over his neck, grunting when Mia kisses his cheek with a soft thank you. 

His hand creeps over her lower back to her hip and tugs her into his side. His lips meeting her temple. Gaze looking over her shoulder at Frank, he holds Mia a little bit tighter to his side. 

Once Sophie's got her bags again and fills them to the brim, Shane leads them outside. Careful to latch the door again behind them. Shane stalks through the empty streets, ignoring the heat and the beating sun rays as the pair followed behind him and Mia. 

He wanted her close. He didn't trust the male behind him and even that made his skin crawl and his spine tingle. Turning your back on an unknown force didn't sit well with Shane. Not since the last time ended up in Mia getting snatched and nearly... He won't think about it. 

His grip is right around her smaller hand as they make their way back to the small camp they'd made. Sophie and Frank in tow.


	5. Chapter 5

“You gotta be happy,” Frank murmured, glancing across to Sophie, who was walking along in step with him as always. He’d expected her to be up front with her sister – she was, after all, the whole reason Sophie had even come to Florida all those months ago – but she seemed content to stick with him instead.

“Beyond,” Sophie sighed. She couldn’t stop staring at Mia, now she was here. It felt like a dream, some drug-induced fantasy, but the baking sun and the heat radiating off the man beside her assured her it wasn’t. Besides, no fantasy of hers would involve being that hot and sweaty anyway unless her legs happened to also be wrapped around Frank’s-

“You don’t gotta stick with me, y’know,” he told her quietly. “I ain’t gonna be offended if you’d rather-”

“Bullshit.” Sophie rolled her eyes and nudged Frank with her elbow and she swayed towards him. “Someone’s gotta keep me in line – she sure as fuck won’t.”

She watched Shane tug Mia closer into his side, lips grazing her temple as they conversed quietly. How the tables had fucking turned. Mia had always spoken about Officer Walsh like he was the biggest pain in her ass, constantly on her tail like he wanted to arrest her, yet now… Mia smiled up at him. She looked relaxed. Happy. Safe.

Trust her sister to fall in love with the fuckin’ Po-Po. Not that they really existed, now. Nothin’ did. No society, no law, no rules… Just chaos. Yet, somehow, Mia had found her calm in the eye of the storm. And, judging by the way Shane had been glaring at Frank – yeah, she’d caught that – Mia was someone else’s calm, too.

Kinda hilarious, considering.

Probably no less hilarious than Sophie almost hooking up with the fuckin’ Punisher, though. That whole thing was just a mess that turned out to miraculously hobble along steadily instead of completely imploding after she’d accidentally lit that fuse. Not her finest moment, trying to cross that line, but hey, they still worked as a solid team and Frank hadn’t run away or shot her so she counted that as a win.

“He seems pretty good at keepin’ her in check,” Frank observed, gesturing to Shane. “Sure he could manage.”

“Bein’ a third wheel ain’t really my thing,” she told him lightly. She looked over to him and smiled. “Not gettin’ rid of me that easy, Castle.”

Frank nodded, but didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes wandering over their surroundings, constantly vigilant even though the odds of anyone else being in the park were next to none. Sophie’s arm brushed against his as they walked and he found himself welcoming the contact for once. It was reassuring - even though he’d never admit it, he was glad she wasn’t jumping ship yet. He didn’t trust _Officer Walsh_ or whatever the fuck title he went by any more than he trusted that bitch Reyes.

“Hey, Mia?” Sophie called ahead. “This camp of yours… Where’d you say it was again?”

“We got an RV in the lot,” Mia replied brightly. “Not bad, right?”

“An RV?” Sophie frowned. “What, did you decide to go all _Breaking Bad_ and start a meth lab or something? Is that why you got thrown in overnight?”

“Ha-fuckin’-ha,” Mia deadpanned. “We kinda accidentally stole it from this old guy a few weeks back. What was his name – Dave? Daryl?”

“Dale,” Shane supplied with a shake of his head.

“Whatever,” Mia muttered, then turned back to look at Sophie, trusting Shane not to let her fall over. “Point is, we _acquired_ it and now we sorta live in it between different places.”

“Right, but it’s not like a permanent thing?” Sophie’s steps slowed and so did Frank’s automatically. Always in step with each other.

It took Mia a few seconds to realize her sister suddenly wasn’t as eager to follow them but, once she did, she grabbed onto Shane's forearm to stop him going any further. “What?”

Sophie looked up at Frank, and Mia watched a silent conversation pass between them before Frank dipped his chin, giving Sophie the floor.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to just stay here?” she suggested.

“You’re kiddin’ me,” Shane muttered. Mia shushed him, placing a hand on his chest while Sophie explained herself.

“It’s got enough supplies to last a while and it ain’t like we’re lacking shelter here,” she pointed out.

“It’s fuckin’ Disneyland,” Shane reminded her.

“And?” Sophie shrugged. “You see anyone else on your way in?”


	6. Chapter 6

6

"Motherfuck." Shane's groaning, a full body stretch as he curves and stomps his foot. "You chicks are serious aren't you?" 

Two sets of fierce bright eyes stared back at him unblinking, identical raised brows. He groans again and raises an arm to point at Frank. 

"You can't be agreeing with them too are ya?" He only got a shrug in response. 

"I go where she goes until she tells me to fuck off." Frank's crossed his thick arms. A sizable force standing just behind and to the side of Sophie's much smaller frame. 

"Shane come on..." Mia steps back to him, hand on his chest. When he doesn't respond her hand travels up to cup his jaw and he's leaning into it. 

Ignoring their audience because for months now it's just been them and he loves it when she touches him like that. Calms him down with a simple hand to his cheek. His own reaching up to hold hers in his larger one. 

"It's gonna get overrun at some point baby... I can't, I can't even think about losing you." His voice is rough and she can see him battling that inner demon inside of him that would rather yank her by the hair, put her in the RV and hit the gas. 

"We're not alone anymore." She kisses his wrist and he's done for. Sighing he yanks her close and hugs her to his chest as he looks over at the pair a few feet away. 

"We'll move the RV into the park, find a spot tomorrow?" It's strange, asking someone instead of just telling. Mia's so used to him giving orders, that save her life, that it's strange. 

Frank takes a moment to nod but when he does Shane can see Sophie's face light up more. Girl's got it bad. 

"Sophie?" Mia pulls away from Shane for a second and whispers something in her twins ear. 

"That's what I was thinking!!!" A high pitched squeal hits his ears and Shane winces at it. 

"The castle! 

"A freaking moat!"

Mia nudges her twin with her hip. "Told you sis, didn't I? That one day we'd be living it up in a castle like princesses." Sophie snorts and punches her sister in the arm. 

"Yeah except your version of a castle was the playboy mansion. With unlimited weed."

"Guilty!" Mia smiled then sighed. "I haven't had a blunt in months..."

Shane rolled his eyes at her. "And you ain't gettin one you fuckin drug addict." It was playful as he smirked at her .

"Yeah mr. I'm gonna pick up the local whore, lock her in the back of the cruiser and smoke her only blunt in the front seat. Without sharing!!" Mia ran and launched herself on Shane's back. Latching onto him as she playfully tried to strangle him.


	7. Chapter 7

“She always like this?”

Sophie turned and walked the few paces back to Frank’s side, mirroring his position without realizing – arms folded, feet apart, gaze fixed on her sister. “Pretty much.”

Frank groaned.

“Hey, don’t be such a grumpy cat,” Sophie chided, bumping her elbow against his. “She ain’t that bad.”

Mia dropped from Shane’s back and pressed herself against his front, looking up at him with fucking heart-eyes before squealing loudly when he grabbed at her sides to tickle her. Their lips met in a passionate kiss that had both Frank and Sophie turning on their heels to face the other way.

“Okay, so she’s a bit… enthusiastic,” Sophie allowed, rubbing the back of her neck. Yep, sweated out that water, as predicted.

“No shit,” Frank muttered, then reached into their supply bag to hand her the almost emptied bottle from before to help her cool off. Mia’s enthusiasm wasn’t the problem – it was the way her hair bounced around her shoulders and the grin on Shane’s face that was so much like his own that had his chest tightening. Was like looking into a fuckin’ history book of his own life _before,_ the two of them. That honeymoon period, the fun part, all that _can’t keep my hands off you_ crap. Been there, done that, got the fuckin’ scars to prove it.

Sophie gave him an understanding look he hated. Too observant, too knowing. _The ones who can really hurt you are the ones close enough to do it._ “Look, if they’re too much, I’m sure we can-”

“It’s fine,” he dismissed. “This ain’t about Maria or my bullshit.”

“Frank…”

He waved her off. “You need family, times like these.”

“You’re my family, too,” she said softly.

Before he could even think of a response, Shane was whistling to get their attention. _Jackass._

“You guys just gonna stand there or what?” he called, eyebrow raised.

Frank twisted round and glared at him, in perfect sync with Sophie. Mia smiled to herself, leaning in to Shane’s side as her sister rolled her eyes. _They didn’t have a fucking clue, did they?_

“Was waitin’ for you two to stop necking like teenagers,” Sophie grumbled, then started towards her sister with Frank in tow.

It was beginning to become a pattern, Mia noticed, if it wasn’t one already.

Shane didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her shoulders and lead the way again, ignoring Frank’s muttered curse. He didn’t give a shit what the other man thought – the guy could always fuck off if he didn’t like it. He smirked. _Unlikely._

The walk back to the RV was short, luckily, since it wasn’t like they had to park miles away from the entrance with the lot as empty as it was. Shane hauled open the door and placed a guiding hand on Mia’s back to help her inside, then gestured for the other pair to go in. Sophie glanced back at Frank, then climbed in behind her sister, leaving the two men outside.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“After you,” Shane prompted. “Unless you wanna get heatstroke?”

Frank grumbled something that sounded a lot like ‘ _asshole’_ , but pulled himself up into the RV anyway and immediately gave it a visual sweep Shane recognized as trained. The guy had definitely been a Marine – the papers weren’t wrong about that. The whole situation in New York hadn’t been presented most accurately down in Georgia, but everyone had thought they’d known the basics of Frank Castle’s horror story of a life after the trial of the century had sent the rumour mills into a frenzy.

Once upon a time, Shane would have been firmly in the anti-Punisher camp. But things had been put into perspective after Mia had almost been… He hadn’t hesitated to kill those motherfuckers, would do it all over again to keep her safe and stop it happening again. When it came to those you loved, you did what had to be done, end of story. Didn’t mean he trusted the guy, though. Once a crazy asshole, always a crazy asshole, right?

“Shane, what’s the hold up?”

“Just makin’ sure nothing’s around,” he lied, then quickly hopped in and slammed the door shut behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Shane settled down to sleep hours later. The single battery powered lantern the only light in the RV. Conserving gas by not running the air conditioning was exhausting but worth it. 

The table folded down into another bed and there was an extra blanket and pillows thrown on top. Mia and her princess habits Shane thinks as he spins the drivers chair around. 

Mia and Sophie hadn't left each other's sides since entering the RV. Both of them sitting on the bed in the back chattering away for nearly three hours as dusk and then night fell. 

"Mia." Shane's voice broke through her story and she looks up. A look of understanding on her face just from the look on his face and the tone of his voice. He didn't care that Sophie's brow furrowed at her sisters easy acceptance to a silent order.

"Right, early start tomorrow." Shane places a gentle kiss on her lips and motions her to stay where she is instead of following him. 

"Stay with Sophie for the night. Maybe for once I'll get some sleep where you don't choke me." He teases and she rolls her eyes at him. 

Soon the twins are nothing but a tangle of limbs and hair on the bed. Both of them on their back facing the other. Mia on the right Sophie on the left. Their clothes stretched from sweat and wear and the ink on their backsides are showing. 

Shane's seen all of Mia's before. Many times he's traced the lines of black and grey and red over as she slept. It's an intricate thing, a giant thing that spans her entire back. And he's always wondered, why her entire back, for one single wing? He didn't know about her twin until after the shit storm. 

Now he sees. With them laying the way they are, you could easily tell the twins made the perfect match. Giant unfurling wings making them each half of a whole. Then he cringes, even he's got a pain tolerance and needles was the line. That shit had to have hurt and cost a fucking fortune. 

His gaze lingers on Mia's chestnut colored hair and the way her frame is outlined. All sloping curves and long limbs. In all honesty he's surprised he never gave in to her charms till after the world fell. His badge was such a cock block. 

He leans back in the drivers chair, cracks the window open with the crank and fishes out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. He's about to light one up when he offers Frank one. He shakes his head at Shane. 

"Suit yourself." Shane lights up and takes a long drag, almost groaning at the feel and taste of it. 

They watch the girls sleep for countless moments. Each knew the other was watching them. Shane takes another drag. 

"I get it." He says to Frank and the other man tilts his chin and looks at Shane. The similarities are eerie, like looking in a mirror about a decade into the future. 

"Get what?" Voice kept low. Frank shifts his hips and settles more into the passenger chair. 

"Why you went nuts and slipped jail." Another drag, smoke billowing gently out the window. "She got nabbed a couple weeks in.... Think i dropped twenty men before I could even feel the blood on my hands." Shane looks over and catches the familiar yet strange gaze. 

"Do it all again to," another long drag. "Just to keep her safe. So I get it man."


	9. Chapter 9

“You get it,” Frank repeated flatly. “Huh.”

Shane took one last pull from the cigarette before throwing it out the open window. He tipped his head back and exhaled slowly, savouring the moment. He wouldn’t have another one until the next day at the earliest. Had to draw them out somehow, right?

“That what you think of me?” Frank asked lowly. “That I’m just some nutjob goin’ around shooting people?” His index finger fluttered against an invisible trigger. “But hey, someone tried to hurt your girl so that makes it all okay ‘cause you _‘get it’_?”

Shane rolled his neck, frustrated. “What’s your problem, man?”

“What’s my-” Frank shook his head. “The problem? Is there ain’t anythin’ for you to get. Almost losin’ someone ain’t the same as watchin’ ‘em die, Walsh.” He clenched his jaw. “You ain’t got the first clue what it… so don’t talk about it. Just accept you don’t get shit.”

Shane stared up at the ceiling. So much for that olive branch.

“No-one’s gotta justify my actions but me,” Frank muttered. “So stop trying.”

“Does she?” Shane asked quietly. Off Frank’s confused look, he waved a hand in Sophie’s direction. “Try, I mean.”

Frank said nothing for so long, Shane thought that was the end of it.

“She don’t seem to think they need justifying.” Frank shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Think that’s worse.”

Shane laughed under his breath. “She cares about you, man. Ain’t no arguin’ with that logic.”

Frank sighed, like that argument had still been tried and he’d lost every time. Shane glanced over at him, curious.

“What, you think a girl like that’s hung around you for fun?” He raised an eyebrow _._ “S’obvious, man.”

“Yeah, well, I ain’t lookin’ for that,” Frank dismissed, tone gravelled.

“Nor was I,” Shane admitted. “Didn’t change shit where she was involved.”

Frank said nothing, just leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

Shane scrubbed a hand over his head, but left him be. Some battles just weren’t worth the effort, and it wasn’t his business anyway. He looked over at Mia instead, expression softening as he took in her sleeping form. She shifted against the blankets, fingers reaching to where he usually laid beside her.

Some fights were worth every second. She’d taught him that.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Come morning Shane realized they really were twins. Because after waking up just past dawn , he went over to wake up Mia. In turn that woke up Sophie and both of them almost punched him square in the face. 

"Mother... Woman you try that shit one more time!" Shane growled and yanked Mia out of the bed, huffing as he tried to move her without hurting her. Which was hard since she literally makes herself dead weight. 

Sophie grumbling and rubbing at her eyes as she watches Mia getting dragged to the floor. Too sleepy to care she rolls over and Mia just does the same. 

"I swear it's like your five years old." Shane gripes and throws a candy bar at her head. The only response he gets is a middle finger and the candy bar vanishing in her hands. 

"Fuck you, I haven't slept in a real bed in months asswipe." Sophie groans and tugs her sister back up into the bed with her. Both of them sharing the candy until it's gone and then actually trying to go back to sleep. 

Shane sighs through his nose, pinches the bridge of it and closes his eyes. Great... Now there's two of them. To team up! He looks over to Frank and raises an eyebrow. 

"Don't go lookin at me. I know when to let sleeping bitches lie." It's a somewhat playful remark. Both sisters know what they are, were. But he's graced with a set of middle fingers and a soft 'fuck you' from Mia. 

Shane just groans and looks through the bags of food Sophie grabbed yesterday. Once he finds what he needs he shakes the small bag of skittles. Frank's eyes narrow until he see Mia bolt upright and lunge at Shane from the bed. 

"There she is. Fucking druggie and your snacks." He chuckles as she chews on the candy and pops her hip against his own. 

"Fuck off Walsh, you didn't complain when I was sucking them off y..." Shane's hand clamps down on her mouth so quick he nearly smacks her. 

"Mia, no one needs to know that." He waits until she rolls her eyes, licking at his hand. "Fucking child." 

"You're an ass." She leans up and kisses him before going over and shaking her sister gently. "Come on So-So, we gotta figure out how to get in that fucking castle." 

Sophie groans and sighs. "So comfy."

"Sophie you do realize the suites have queen sized beds and pillows right?" Mia sat on the edge of the bed and laughed as Sophie sat up quickly. 

"And fireplaces and rugs..." Mia nods at her sister. 

"Let's go then bitch!" Mia pushes at Sophie's shoulder and tosses her a tank top that's clean.


	11. Chapter 11

Sophie climbed out of bed and stripped off her sweat-ruined tank, turning to face them as she stretched out her spine, breasts bouncing in her bra with the movement. Shane stared straight up at the ceiling to avoid getting an eyeful, but Frank was so used to Sophie’s lack of embarrassment when it came to showing her body that he barely even blinked, gaze not straying from her face.

“Shit, that’s gross,” she muttered as she chucked her old tank to the floor. “Never wanna wear something that many days in a row again.”

“You guys didn’t have a camp or change of clothes?” Mia wondered, concerned. She hadn’t even thought to ask where the pair had been before Disney, too caught up in reconnecting.

Sophie pulled on the new tank and shrugged as she glanced at Frank, like she was leaving it up to him to respond.

“We’ve been here and there,” he evaded.

“Here and there…” Mia repeated. Her sister never let anyone else talk on her behalf, nor did she ever avoid Mia’s questions like that.

Sophie smiled at her, as if nothing was unusual about it, then crouched down to grab a water bottle from their bag. She drank half of it, then walked over to give the rest to Frank. He took it gratefully and shifted over in the passenger seat so she could sit next to him, not even really aware he’d done it. Mia rolled her eyes. Not Sophie’s guy, her ass.

“You’re seriously wanting to go Magic Kingdom?” Frank asked quietly, too low for the others to hear. He watched Shane move closer to Mia and placed his hand on her hip and he bent over for a change of clothes of his own.

“Makes as good sense as anything else,” Sophie murmured. The entire right side of her body was pressed up against his, toned muscle giving way to his bulk, and not for the first – or last – time, she found herself revelling in the warm comfort it brought her. “Would be nice to have a home base that’s got a bed, where we don’t have to bury our supplies on the side of a highway.”

“Surprised you didn’t tell them.”

“Not important,” Sophie shrugged off. “Makes more sense to get settled, then come back for our stuff once it’s safe. We got more pressing issues anyways – don’t think getting in to that park is gonna be easy.”

“What? Don’t think the monorail or ferry’ll be runnin’?”

Sophie’s face was so surprised, his lips quirked up into a half smile in response.

“How the fuck did you...” She sobered slightly, realizing exactly how Frank would have known the intricacies of getting into the park. Even though she’d spent every waking and sleeping moment with him for months, she still forgot his life had gone to shit years before everyone else’s from time to time. “Sorry, dumbass question.”

“S’alright.” Frank had already dealt with the ache in his chest that his jumbled memories brought when she’d first suggested the place. He could push it down long enough to get their mission completed.

Sophie nodded, not pressing him for once. Other times? The woman would dig and claw and tear answers out of him. But never about this. She was one of the few people who left that stone unturned until he wanted to offer something.

“Hey, Mia?” she called, patting Frank’s thigh before standing up and stepping closer to her sister. “Frank just brought up a good point – how are we gonna get to the Magic Kingdom when the monorail and ferry ain’t running?”


	12. Chapter 12

12

Mia rolled her eyes and smirked. Because Shane just asked her that very same question. 

"Well, there's bound to be service tunnels and roads right?" She does the same as Sophie, stripping off her tank to toss in the corner. Except Shane moves to cover her body with his own for a slight hint at privacy. 

"Yeah?" Sophie responded, leaning her hip on the little counter of the RV. Rolling her own eyes as Shane literally shielded her sister's entire body from view as she changed 

"So we just find those roads and tunnels and use them." Mia peeked from Shane's side, tugging on a new pair of shorts as she did so. 

Patting Shane's side she signaled him to move out of her way so she could grab her own bottle of water. His hand on her hip as she stands in reach of him. Always just a touch away. 

"Makes sense." Shane nodded, moving over to open the fridge. It's where they kept all their ammo and blades that they, he, collected so far. Mia had yet to fire a gun and was resolute once it was brought up. 

Flick of his wrist and his pistol is loaded and back in his officers belt holster. Dark eyes roamed to Frank who stood and opened the door. Ducking his head out before gesturing for Sophie to follow him. 

Mia took the compound bow from Shane's hands and watched her sister go down the steps. "She's changed..." Shane says nothing and pushes her gently outside. The girls could get that sorted out later, now they needed to get moving. 

"How far outs your car?" Shane asks Frank, arms folded as he raises an eyebrow at Sophie's soft gasp of surprise. 

"What? You think I'm stupid? I ain't no marine but I was armed forces and a cop." Shane raises a hand to point at Frank. "Ain't no man that skilled not gonna have a car or camp, not when he's got you to take of." 

Shane watched as Frank watched him. A silent and still argument going through the males. Mia crossed her own arms beside Shane, raising an eyebrow at her sister for not telling her that fact.


	13. Chapter 13

Sophie swallowed thickly. She knew when she’d been backed into a corner, but this was not something she was going to argue about. “Mia, don’t look at me like that. It doesn’t matter where we were – what matters is getting to that damn castle so we can actually settle.”

“What _matters,_ sweetheart, is that we’re honest with each other,” Shane countered, tone patronizing as fuck. Frank stiffened beside her, and Sophie shifted closer to his side – a united front. “And your _friend_ here ain’t exactly forthcomin’.”

“Would you be?” Frank growled. “Tables turned, you gonna just hand everythin’ over to a stranger?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Sophie soothed, turning to Frank. “Ain’t no need for that.”

“Damn, you really are her Pitbull,” Shane muttered.

Mia whacked his arm and scowled at him. “Not helping.”

“Look, we’re gonna just go get our shit and meet you somewhere, okay?” Sophie put forward. “We can argue about this later.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to-”

Sophie put her hand on Frank’s chest and Mia watched some of the tension in the man’s shoulders melt. “Frank.”

“You want a lift to this car of yours?” Mia offered.

Sophie looked to Frank, who stopped his silent argument with Shane just long enough to meet her gaze. She didn’t need him to say anything to know what he wanted. She shook her head at Mia. “It’s not far. We can walk.”

Shane mumbled under his breath. “Are you-”

“Where dya want us to meet you?” Mia cut in. She gave Shane a meaningful glance, making him back down for the moment.

“Osceola Parkway,” Sophie answered. “Where it crosses with Buena Vista Drive. Y’know the place?”

Shane and Mia nodded.

“Meet you there in an hour.”

Frank placed his hand on the small of Sophie’s back, and she shot her sister an apologetic look before turning and falling into step with her partner.

An hour was more than enough time for them to reach their previous camp and dig up what they’d hidden, but the others didn’t need to know that. It made her uneasy, to be hiding things from her sister, but Frank had gotten her this far – she didn’t know enough about Shane to show her hand in full yet.

Mia watched the pair walk off with a scowl on her face, then turned to face Shane and raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck was that?”


	14. Chapter 14

14

Shane didn't answer her, instead he climbed back into the RV. Tugging her along to sit in the passenger seat as he started the ramshackle engine. He gently followed Mia's instructions on where to go from the map in her hands as his mind thought. 

He wasn't stupid. The fact Frank was being smart about hiding their vehicle was good, but to not tell them was bad. They'd have to get along, him and Frank, some fucking how. Because these girls were gonna be inseparable. He could tell. 

He glanced over at Mia, gently took her left hand in his. Pulled softly till her wrist was in reach and he kissed the pulse point there. 

"I know I'm an asshole." Mia chuckled softly and nodded, thumb rubbing against his palm. 

"But I got to know what he's like, how he thinks. I know that's your sister, but I'm gonna do everythin' I can to keep YOU safe. Got it?" Shane glances from the corner of his eye and finds Mia sighing softly and nodding in agreement. 

He knows that's her sister, her twin. But dammit. If anything happened to her because of Frank or Sophie. He'd go postal, to where only the punisher could take him down.


	15. Chapter 15

Little did he know, Frank felt the exact same way about protecting Sophie – only, in his case, there was nothing that would be able to take him down. He just wouldn’t say it out loud.

He barely said anything, in fact, as the two of them walked side by side to their vehicle. Sophie was just as quiet, not even attempting to fill the silence with her usual babble. Guilt ate away at them both – her, for going against her sister’s wishes, and him, for being the reason why.

“Here,” he murmured, hand returning to the small of her back to guide her toward the trees they’d hidden their vehicle among.

It was an old-looking truck, but a more reliable runner than it appeared. It had become their most consistent camp over the months they’d been together – the flat bed made up their mattress, dining table and lookout post all at once, and the front seat saw them through the rainy times where shelter was scarce and the wind was so harsh even curling up together wasn’t enough to counter the chill.

“You wanna leave the guns?” Sophie asked quietly, crouching by the tree beside the truck to dig up the keys.

Frank shrugged and signalled for her to throw over the keys.

“Talk to me,” Sophie sighed.

He walked over and took the keys from her hands instead. She grabbed his wrist, refusing to let him move away. He stared at her for a long moment, then slowly but firmly pulled his arm from her grasp.

“Frank, c’mon…”

It took him a while to respond. “I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I,” Sophie admitted. “But he kept Mia safe this long – don’t you think he’s earned the benefit of the doubt?”

“You can’t ever know what a man is capable of until it’s too late,” Frank murmured quietly. His gaze burned through her. “Benefit of the doubt counts for shit when it comes to protecting the people you – or they – love.”

Sophie swallowed thickly, then nodded. “Okay. No guns.”

“Oh, no, ma’am.” Frank gave her a half-smile. “We’re gettin’ ‘em.”

They got to the meet point just in time for the hour-mark, back of the truck loaded up with their guns, ammo, gas and other meager supplies. Clothes, toiletries… they didn’t have much, but it was enough.

Shane whistled his approval when they pulled up beside the RV, eyes instantly scanning over the little he could see of their stash. Frank raised an eyebrow, but Sophie knew he was proud to earn that reaction. It made her smile.

“Any luck?” she asked softly.

Mia smiled from her position curled into Shane’s side. “Think I found a way in – you good to follow?”

Frank dipped his chin and Mia took that as her cue to climb back inside the RV. Shane stared at the pair in the truck for a second longer, then nodded at the man who clearly wanted to protect his twin just as much as Shane did his. He could work with that.


	16. Chapter 16

16

There's an underpass beneath the monorail. It heads straight underground and into the basement of the castle. However the path is only large enough for the trucks until just under the monorail. 

Shane climbed out and inspected the dark concrete tunnel. Emergency lights long since burned out in places. It was eerie and dark. He didn't much like it. 

"Looks like we walk from here." He rubs a hand over his curling locks. "Grab the flashlight and lantern, baby." He pats her backside gently to get her into the RV. 

He walks closer to Frank, couple yards between them, crosses his arms over his chest as they both stare down into the service tunnel. It's meant for small golf cars it looks like. Enough to take back and forth supplies without disrupting the crowds with the cars on the streets. 

He side eyes Frank. Listens as Sophie and Mia both are going through respective cars to find flashlights and lanterns. Watches Frsnk give the same side glance. Dark brows raising for Shane to say what he wants why the girls are distracted. 

"I don't trust you." Shane says first. Looks back down the tunnel. "Not one damn bit, Castle." His thumb points over his shoulder. "She's my whole fucking world, you do anythin', anythin' to put her in danger?" Shane finally turned to Frank, a dead serious face set toward Frank. One that mirrors his own some days.


	17. Chapter 17

"You done?" Frank sighed.

Shane ran a hand through his hair and clenched his jaw.

"I ain't gonna hurt your girl," Frank continued. "You do your job and keep her safe, and I'll do mine."

"You ever get tired of being such a fuckin' brick wall?" Shane shot back. He was glad they were on the same page, but he still felt unsettled by his difficulty reading the other man.

Frank let out a sound that could have been a laugh. "No."

With that, he turned and headed over to the truck to help Sophie find the flashlights they needed.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Mia slipped her arms around Shane's waist from behind and kissed his shoulder blade. "Relax, baby."

"I ain't riskin' you. Not for anythin'," he replied softly.

"Then surely it's better to keep the peace?" she pointed out. "I want him on our side, not against it."

"I'll try," he offered.

Mia smiled. That was good enough for her.

Once they had enough flashlights, they hauled as much of their joint supply stash as they could along the tunnels, making several trips back and forth until they were satisfied nothing essential was left behind.

The staff entrance door was locked tight, but before Shane could move to unpick it, Frank had already busted it open with brute strength.

Mia gasped and even Shane was quietly impressed.

Sophie, though, just grabbed two a trunk of ammunition and their clothing bags and slipped past Frank like it was nothing.

To her, it probably was.


	18. Chapter 18

18

"I'm the oldest!!" 

"By two minutes!!

"Fuck you Sophie I get the Cinderella suite!"

"No I do! I never got to be Cinderella!"

"No, cause you always wanted Ariel! And I wanted her but dad always made me give you the costume!"

The girls had been at it for nearly twenty minutes and Shane was about to rip his own ears off if only to stop the shrill yelling. They were fighting over a fucking princess. At the end of the world, they're fighting over which of them gets the fucking room.

Shane and Frank had instantly backed off the moment the argument started an hour ago. It had escalated so quickly, he's never seen Mia so upset unless he took her weed. This was worse.

"Sophie goddammit I want the suite!"

"Fuck you druggie I want it!"

"You did not...!? You're the stripper!"

"And you're the streetwalker!"

Shane's eyes narrowed as he saw Mia's fist clench at her sides. He didn't know much about them but he figured they'd never actually fight each other. He might of been wrong on that front. 

But as he moves swiftly to reach out for Mia, she's gotten a handful of pillows off the lounge couch beside her. The pink and blue fabric hits Sophie's chest and Mia grins victorious. 

"You did not..."

"Bitch I so did, what ya gonna do? Huh?" Mia's grabbed another pillow and kept pushing at her sister with her words. 

"You think we should stop them?" Shane quietly asks Frank from the sidelines. Worry over his face as Frank's is unreadable watching the scene before him as the girls start lopping each other with overstuffed throw pillows. 

He turns to answer Shane and it's all he can do to try an dodge the object hurtling towards him from the corner of his eye. The corner of a fluffy neon green pillow hits his shoulder and neck and the sounds of fighting and huffing stop suddenly.


	19. Chapter 19

“Oh, fuck,” Mia mumbled.

Sophie grimaced, her outstretched hands confirming who, exactly, had thrown the pillow. Shane tensed, hand reflexively going to his belt and hovering over his gun, and Mia’s eyes widened as her stomach dropped.

Criminal or non-criminal, everyone knew what happened when The Punisher got pissed off.

Frank closed his eyes for a second, then turned and stared at Sophie with an expression that was indiscernible to anyone else but her. Nobody else saw the fondness it hid.

She held his gaze for long moments, then had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggle that tried to escape it. Frank’s lips quirked up in the smallest hint of a smile, and he shook his head at her childish antics.

Shane and Mia shared an incredulous look.

“Think that’s my cue to stop,” Sophie surrendered, turning to her sister. “Suite’s yours.”

Frank reached down to grab their ammunition bag and hoisted it over his shoulder before picking up the remainder of his supplies he could carry. Sophie stepped forward to help, only to be stopped by Mia’s arm crossing her chest.

The older twin raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you ever give up?”

“Since things like this stopped being so important,” Sophie replied quietly. Her eyes strayed over to Frank, and her expression softened. “Doesn’t matter where we sleep, as long as we’re safe.”

Mia frowned, stunned by her sister’s change in mood. It was how they’d always been, ever since they were kids – teasing, fighting over stupid shit, but always there for each other. They weren’t them unless they were rattling each other’s cages over something. They never truly fought, too closely bonded for that to happen, but the one-eighty threw her completely.

“I know that,” she murmured. “But that doesn’t mean _we_ have to change. It’s our thing.”

“The _whole world_ changed, Mia,” Sophie sighed, and Mia couldn’t help but wonder what exactly the fuck had happened to her while they’d been apart. She smiled brightly, then nudged Mia with her elbow. “Think you two lovebirds probably need the beds, anyway.”

She kissed Mia’s cheek, then moved towards Frank and grabbed the supplies he wasn’t able to carry. There wasn’t much – he was strong enough to lift it all, but simply didn’t have enough hands to do it. She smiled at Shane when he held open the door for them, then turned to glance back at her sister.

“Meet downstairs in the dining suite once we’ve offloaded?” she suggested.

Mia nodded. “Sure.”

“Love you,” Sophie said softly, then turned and headed out into the hallway with Frank close behind her.

The elevator didn’t work – of course it fucking didn’t – so the two of them took the stairs down to the level below, which held a couple more rooms.

“Good thing they decided to add another suite,” Sophie sighed as she kicked open the door that led from the stairwell into the hallway. Frank had taught her well.

“Money,” was all Frank said in response.

Sophie huffed out a laugh, then sobered slightly. There were two suites on this floor, not just one like she’d expected. She paused outside the doors and chewed on her bottom lip as she tried not to react outwardly. She hadn’t planned for that.

“Um…”

“Just pick one,” Frank muttered gruffly. “This shit’s heavy.”

Sophie swallowed thickly, then took up a firm stance before kicking the door on the left-hand side open. It rebounded once it hit the interior wall, but she stopped it slamming shut with her foot before pushing her way inside.

The room contained two queen-sized beds, and Frank didn’t hesitate to follow her inside to offload their supplies onto the one furthest from the door. He expertly organized things the way he wanted them while Sophie gaped at him from her frozen spot in the middle of the room. He glanced at her over his shoulder and paused.

“What?”

“I thought…” She tipped her head to the right, gesturing to the wall that connected the two rooms.

“You wanna separate?” Frank asked, eyebrow raised.

“No,” Sophie replied truthfully.

“Then get your ass over here and unpack.”

Sophie grinned and let the door slam shut behind her as she did as she was told.


	20. Chapter 20

20

Upstairs, Mia was busy trying to unpack her and Shane’s stuff, but it was made almost impossible by Shane’s wandering hands. Now they were alone, he couldn’t stop touching her.

He had a grip her hips as Shane's entire body pushed against her back. Molding to her shorter frame and slipping his hands around her waist, fingers splaying over her belly and pushing her shirt up. 

"Shannnne." She moaned playfully and tried to buck him off her with her hips, it only served to make him grip her tighter. "We gotta get settled."

"Do it later... Gotta touch you." His voice deepens and turns husky into her ear and she shudders. Leaning into him for a second and enjoying his warmth and strength behind her. 

"Baby come on, we got all night." He shakes his head, nipping her shoulder and neck as he pushes his fingers into her shorts. 

"Nope... Just real quick, gotta touch you." His fingers slip deeper and he finds what he wants. 

..

It's past an hour later now and Mia's finally catching her breath. She's laying in a pile of sweaty limbs and sheets on the comfy queen size bed. Shane's head laying on her chest as her fingers roam through his short curls. 

"Come on Shane, gonna be late." He groans and goes limp for a second. Sighing deeply and exhaling against her neck to make her shiver and smile. 

"I'm not finished with you." He kisses her lips gently , leaning up on his elbows to smile fondly down at her. 

"I hope not." She winks and moves to get up, grabbing fresh clothes to put on. His hands never really leaving her as he does the same beside her. 

He's tugging on his boots when she flips down onto his lap, her arms up to tie back the long expanse of her chestnut hair. He fingers the lighter locks, the one that had been bleached blonde to frame one side of her face. He liked it but nothing was better then her natural color. 

She turns her head and kisses his cheek, hand coming up to up his stubbled jaw. Looking so sweet and innocent for that moment he's got to smirk at her. Because who the fuck would have thought he'd fall head over heels for a pot smoking street whore. 

"Come on." He's patting her hip to get up and make their way to the dinning hall.


	21. Chapter 21

Downstairs, Frank was holding open the door for Sophie while she stepped inside the once-restaurant with wide eyes and a bright smile on her face.

“Wow.”

She shook her head in disbelief as she stared up at the ceiling, the walls, the floor… The place was empty, now, had been for a while, but it still held the air of something special and it made her feel both mournful and awe-struck at once.

“I loved Disney when I was a kid,” she recalled quietly. She wasn’t really speaking to Frank and he knew it, but he hung off her every word. “Always bugged my dad to bring us here, but we could never afford it. Not this restaurant, anyway. We had these dolls… I loved Ariel, ‘cause my hair was more red back then, and we used to play with ‘em, walk around the park like real princesses, y’know?”

“Bet the two of you were a handful to drag around this place.”

Sophie laughed at the fond memories, not taking her eyes off the room for a second. “You’d think so, right?”

Frank took a step forward, but didn’t fully enter the room. “You tellin’ me you weren’t?”

“My dad was a lot like King Triton. After my mom split, he, uh… He turned into a bit of hardass,” Sophie explained. She bit down on her bottom lip, a sudden wave of grief washing over her. “He always wanted what was best for us, though. Even if it meant leaving us behind. I missed him when he was gone, so… when we came to the park… It was special. We didn’t even fight.”

She suddenly felt vulnerable, somehow, and wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t speak about her dad with anyone, not even Mia. It was always too hard.

“Belle.”

Sophie turned on the spot to see Frank a few feet behind her, brows furrowed as he surveyed the room. She thought she’d imagined things until he cleared his suddenly tight throat and she caught his index finger flickering against his right thigh. It was his tic.

“My little girl… Lisa… She liked Belle.” His voice was low, thick with emotion.

“Course she did.” Sophie smiled sadly. “Belle loved her dad more than anything.”

Frank averted his gaze and Sophie ached to reach for him. She held back.

“She make you do the dance?” she asked softly. Frank frowned. “ _Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme... Beauty and the Beast?”_

Frank’s mouth went slack and his dark eyes turned slightly glassy.

Sophie closed her eyes, cursing herself for being so insensitive. “Frank…”

“She grew out of it, but… yeah,” he mumbled. Sophie inhaled a shaky breath and looked over to him again. “She begged for the outfit for months, so… I caved. Eventually.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Sophie teased lightly. “Bet you were wrapped around her little finger.”

“Yeah, well… luckily, the princess phase didn’t last long.” Frank shifted from foot to foot, then moved closer until he was standing right beside her, shoulder inches from hers. “She moved on to plastic dinosaurs, after that.”

Sophie laughed despite herself, and when she turned slightly to look at him, Frank couldn’t help but crack a tiny smile of his own. They held each other’s gaze for a long moment until Sophie’s flitted down to his lips, inexplicably drawn to them. She swallowed thickly, then twisted back to a more neutral position and stared out across the dining hall.

“They should be here by now,” she mumbled.

Her cheeks felt warm and she hated herself for it. It wasn’t right for her brain to even _consider_ thinking about that when he’d just spoken about his dead daughter for the first time in months. She wasn’t that tactless or cruel.

She brought her thumb to her mouth and nibbled on the nail, then turned to leave. “I’ll go check if-”

Frank’s hand caught hers on its way down from her face.

“Wait.”

Sophie’s eyes fluttered closed and her breath caught in her throat before she sighed and glanced nervously up at him. His dark eyes were filled with something she couldn’t understand, but before either one of them could speak, Mia and Shane’s loud footsteps echoed across from the entrance hall and they sprung apart like they’d been shocked.

“This is exactly what I imagined it to be!” Mia exclaimed, looking like an excited kid as she dragged Shane into the room with her.

Sophie tried to keep her expression neutral, but she was all too aware of the heat from Frank’s body beside hers and probably wasn’t successful. “You’re late.”


	22. Chapter 22

22

Mia only smirked on that sultry way she did and winked at her sister. Her arms winding around Shane's strong right arm as she hung from it like a teenager and her first love.

"Someone couldn't keep it in his pants." She winked up at him and Shane rolled his eyes yet tugged his arm closer so she leaned against his side. "And I don't blame him, it's a lot to keep in those pants."

She was tactless, with her sexuality with her body, all of it. But that's who she was since sixteen, wasn't it? And tactless because she didn't understand why Sophie cringed slightly at her words. 

"Mia." Shane's tone was chastising and he raised a brow as she looked up at him and her smile fades some at the look there. 

Sophie watched as doesFrank, as Mia sighed and mumbled a soft apology to them both. She couldn't understand it, her sister never backed down, ever. It's was who Mia was. The force of a hurricane that wouldn't be calmed, yet here she was. Calming. 

"So!" Mia stepped away from Shane and clapped her hands together. "How do we start fortifying this place?"

"Fortifying? That's a four year college word sis, don't you sound all educated." Sophie snarked playfully to lighten to mood and it worked. Mia rolling her eyes and scoffing back at her twin. 

"Fuck off. Seriously though. We're in a stone castle. Now what?" She looked from Shane for a moment to her sister then to Frank. Meeting his gaze but only for a second before backing down and looked back to Shane. Towards the safe one, looking at Frank was like looking at a dangerous wild animal. 

Shane looked to Frank for a moment as they both conjured already half formed plans in their heads. They'd have to get along, and deal with each other as they figured it out, together. Fucking Disney and it's togetherness. 

"Well you two hash that out, I'm starving." Mia reached out and tugged Sophie toward the hall where they'd come. "Come on sister, I know what will make the end of the world brighter."

As Mia led Sophie down the hall, sunlight filtering in through stained glass windows, thoughts plagued her mind. 

"Sophie... I know you trust him." She slowed her steps some and looked at her twin. "Help me so I understand why."


	23. Chapter 23

Sophie rolled her eyes. She’d known this was going to happen, but her sister’s impatience never ceased to amaze her. “You couldn’t wait two seconds?”

“I’ve been waiting since the store!” Mia protested. “I think I did well!”

Sophie shook her head in amazement, then crossed her arms over her chest and glanced behind them. “Not here.”

She grabbed Mia’s arm and led her around the corner and through to a different room that turned out to be a supply closet. She closed the door partway, then turned back to find her sister staring at her expectantly.

“Well… what’s so juicy you couldn’t tell me back there?” she wondered, tone almost teasing. She waggled her eyebrows and smirked. “Let me guess… He swept in, swooped you off your feet and-”

“Mia, can you stop with the joking for just one second?” Sophie pleaded. The look on her face made Mia sober immediately.

“Soph…”

“It wasn’t like that,” the younger twin mumbled. “Look, it was complete shit, okay? I was on my way to bail you out, save you, what-the-fuck-ever and then everything just… it all got so fucked up, y’know? The sirens, the chaos… I got robbed by this fucknut gang of guys. Maybe eight of ‘em? They were gonna rape me or kill me, whatever, but Frank, he… He saved my life. Killed 6 of those assholes without even blinkin’.”

Mia’s voice was quiet. “The other two?”

“I took those fuckers out by myself. And I thought was gonna be it, y’know, but he stayed. He helped me get to that police station and then when you weren’t there…” Sophie sighed, then ran a hand through her hair – Shane’s nervous habit seemed to be contagious. “Shit, Mia, I lost it. Fuckin’ ditched Frank to go on some ridiculous suicide mission and almost got myself killed in the process. But Frank didn’t leave me behind or feed me some bullshit line about it all being okay. He helped me look, even though it put him in danger, and then after a while…”

She looked up to the ceiling and wrapped her arms around herself again, feeling vulnerable. Mia reached out to touch her arm, eyes soft.

“Survivin’ this shit don’t fuckin’ matter if you’re lonely, okay? Ain’t nothin’ worse than feelin’ alone out there, and Frank, he… He never let me give up. He _stayed_ with me, Mia. He ain’t what you think he is - he ain’t some nutjob. He lost everythin’ way before all this started, and when you were gone? I felt like I’d lost it all too, and he and I talked and _talked_ , and…” She cursed under her breath. “Somehow, somewhere along the way, I got confused and I thought somethin’ was there and it fuckin’ wasn’t, at least for him, and… Look, baggage or not, he has had my back at every turn, _every day,_ and I trust him with my life. So stop with that _Punisher_ shit. His name is Frank Castle, and he is a good man, not a monster.”

“Okay,” Mia said simply.

Sophie blinked back the tears that prickled in her eyes and cleared her throat, nodding in acceptance. She waited until she got her shit together, then looked over to her sister. “So, was that ‘ _making the end of the world brighter’_ thing bull, or did you actually bring me out here for more than just an interrogation?”


	24. Chapter 24

24

Mia smiled and took her twin sisters hand. Leading her from the broom closet and down the hall. Her eyes searching for a sign or door, something to lead her to where she wanted to go. 

"Remember last time we were here and they advertised something like, 'be a princes for the day'?" Sophie rose an eyebrow as her sister looked at the signs in the intersection of the hallways. 

"Yeah sort of." Her sister grinned and started jogging down the right hallway towards a double set of wooden doors. 

"Well there's nothing stopping us from doing it anymore is there?" Mia smiled brightly and shoved open the doors. 

Inside there's lounges and couches, changing stations and make up tables. But Mia's eyes are on the racks and racks of colorful dresses along the windows and back wall. 

"Holy fucking shit...." Mia's feet are running now, skidding to a stop as her sister lands beside her. Eyes locked together as they slowly smiled to each other. 

"Sister?" Mia smirks and tugs out an Ariel costume. "It's time to get our princess on."


	25. Chapter 25

“Ain’t no way we’re gonna be able to barricade every entrance even if we knew where each of ‘em was, but if someone sees obvious signs of someone bein’ here? They gon’ come.”

“So we go in subtle,” Frank suggested instead. “Use the RV and the truck to block the service tunnel we came in through… still leave room for us to get in and get out if we need to.”

“How many people you think know about the suites we’re stayin’ in?” Shane wondered. “I didn’t know ‘bout ‘em.”

“Me either,” Frank admitted. “But no use hoping the type of people that are gonna pose a threat ain’t Disney fans. We gotta prepare.”

“Then we scout tomorrow. You got enough ammo to take down a damn army, but what about food?”

Frank raised an eyebrow. “Why, you don’t think we got enough to help ourselves to here?”

“I’m talkin’ emergency situation,” Shane countered. “If we get attacked, you got enough food to hole up a while?”

“We can get enough.” Frank circled the food areas on the park map they’d snatched from one of the information centres. “No matter how stupid this shit was, they actually might’ve been onto something.”

“Nah, man,” Shane laughed. “Think Mia just wanted a break. Don’t think either of ‘em thought that far ahead.”

“Sophie did,” Frank mumbled gruffly. Shane observed the other man for a moment, half expecting him to say something else. Instead, Frank just sighed heavily and frowned down at the map.

“Never thought the world would turn into this,” Shane eventually filled the silence with. “Thought we’d get nuclear war, global warmin’… Hell, I’d’ve bet on fuckin’ zombies before this crap.”

“Never liked politics,” Frank muttered.

“Or people?” Shane added. “Given your… propensity for violence.”

Frank huffed out a laugh. “I ain’t ever killed someone for fun like these crazy assholes did. Never hurt no-one who didn’t deserve it, either.”

“I heard ‘bout that,” Shane admitted. “No collateral, right?”

“The filth I put down needed putting down. What they did?” He shook his head. “Ain’t no rhyme or reason for that shit.”

“Some men just wanna watch the world burn, ain’t that what they say?”

“Plenty of those shitbricks out there,” Frank agreed. “I ain’t lettin’ a single one of ‘em get in here.”

The _get to her_ was left unspoken, but Shane knew it was there. “We’ll keep ‘em safe.”

“Fuckin’ Disney,” was all Frank said in response.

Shane chuckled under his breath, then tensed at the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall the girls had marched along almost an hour before. Frank had his hand on his gun half a second later, but relaxed another second after that. _So he was familiar enough with Sophie to recognize the sound of her footsteps, then._

“Hey, boys,” Mia called out as the twins slowly came into the room. Shane’s jaw dropped.


	26. Chapter 26

26

Mia's leaning her shoulder against the doorframe sexy as fucking hell standing there. Her dirty and sweat covered clothes are gone. Replaced by shimmering green skirt that barely covered her pelvis. A fucking clam bra on her generous chest, barely held up by the thin shimmery strings. 

She's watching him leering at her. Eye flirting to Frank for a second before focusing on Shane. Pushing off the doorframe and strutting slowly over to him. Tall green scale covered heels clink gently on the floors as she walks and it's a walk Shane knows pretty fucking well. Considering the first time they met she tried to seduce him. 

"God fuckin damn...." He's standing straighter, dropping his hand to his sides as he moves around the table and meets her. Fingers slipping over her toned sides to tug her close to his chest. 

"I told you Shane, I'm a princess." He wanted to roll his eyes, wanted to make a snarky remark. But he sees the frayed edges of the skirt, the way it was haphazardly cut with a pocket knife to make it shorter, for him. 

But she wasn't a princess. Hell fucking no she wasn't. She wasn't demure and polite when she needed to be, she took what she wanted and owned her mistakes and triumphs alike. She walked into a room carrying her head high and her chin set. Invisible crown on her head.

"Nah Babygirl... You're a goddamned Queen..." He's lifting her up, smirking at her squeal of surprise as she wraps her legs around his hips. Her arms around his neck as he starts walking. Leaving the room without another word because they all knew where this was going.


	27. Chapter 27

“So my sister found her true calling in life, now being a hooker isn’t an option anymore.”

Sophie timidly stepped forward, avoiding eye contact with Frank. He stared at her for a long moment, taking in the long, flowing skirt and black corset of the costume she was wearing. She glanced up at him briefly, then ran her hands down the fabric of her stolen dress and cleared her throat.

“It’s from _Frozen_ ,” she explained. “Princess Ana? In my defence, uh… once Mia gets an idea in her head, you kinda can’t fight her on it.”

Frank raised an eyebrow, too stunned to say anything at first.

Sophie flushed bright red. “God, I’m a fuckin’ idiot, why the fuck did I-”

“It looks good,” Frank offered. _Good_ was a fucking understatement, and the way her face perked up at the compliment made it even more of one.

She blurted out a laugh, then twisted from side to side to make the skirt sway around her. “Yeah, it’s a pretty impressive piece of design work.”

“I wasn’t talking about the dress.”

Sophie’s eyes widened as she looked up at Frank, but he was too busy staring down at the map he and Shane had scrawled on to catch the expression on her face. She quickly recovered from her surprise, then made her way over to him, the rustle of fabric from her skirt making her self-conscious.

“What did you guys get up to?” she asked quietly.

“Planning our defence tactics,” Frank told her, tone rougher than normal. He glanced up at her, then shifted so she could see over his shoulder.

She stepped forward, accepting his invitation, and let her hand rest on his back as she leaned over to get a better look at the plans. If she noticed Frank’s slight shudder in response, she didn’t show it. “You missed a blind spot.”

Frank frowned, attention drawn back to business. “Where?”

“Here,” Sophie murmured, pointing at a spot on the map neither he nor Shane had considered. “The Contemporary Resort’s a 10 minute walk in that direction. Someone could come in that way. It’s unlikely, but it might be worth checking the gates round by there, make sure we don’t get any surprises?”

“There any other entrances you know of?” Frank asked. This was familiar, the planning and discussing… even the heat of her hand against him through his t-shirt wasn’t exactly new, albeit rare. It settled them both, to be in their comfort zones, and he found himself shifting over in his seat to let her sit beside him.

One thing he’d never deny… They made a pretty great team.


	28. Part Two

The water from the shower was just shy of scalding, raining down on her like a gift from the Heavens as she tipped her head back so her face could meet the spray. She hadn’t had a shower like this in months and it felt better than she could’ve ever imagined. Even the plain body wash she lathered herself up in felt more luxurious than it had any right to be, sloughing off the dirt and sweat and grime that had become a permanent stain on her skin to leave it clean and soft and _warm._

Fuck, she’d forgotten how good it felt to be warmed from the inside instead of baked by the sun.

The cubicle door opened, swirling cooler air with the surrounding steam, and she turned to see _him_ step into the shower with her, stripped bare with his scars on show for the first time. She’d seen them before – Hell, two of them she’d helped stitch up herself - but never like that. Never all at once.

He closed the distance between them until he was just a breath away, his eyes hungrily taking in every inch of her body like he wanted to devour her right there on the spot. She held still, waiting for him to come to his senses as always, to back away, to hide, then gasped when he reached out with both hands to grip her hips and pull her in.

His lips crashed into hers, kissing her with such passion, such fire, she couldn’t do anything except wrap her arms around his neck and hold on tight. His hands slid down over her ass until they reached her thighs, then hoisted her up in one smooth movement to pin her against the shower wall. She moaned at the show of strength, at how easy it was for him to move her where he wanted her, then cried out as his hard length slid across her folds.

This was new, this was further than before, this was… this was…

“Frank…”

The blunt head teased her entrance as his lips toyed with the outer shell of her ear.

“You want this?” he whispered. “You been needin’ this like I have?”

“You have no idea…” she panted.

He smirked against her neck, then bit down on the curve where it met her shoulder, making her hiss, before bringing his lips back to hers.

“No idea, huh?” he teased, rubbing himself against her as his strong hands held her up. “Think I ain’t been wantin’ this since that night?”

She was trembling, she fucking knew it, her body surrendering to his without him even having to ask.

“You didn’t want me,” she breathed against his lips. “You said-”

“I lied.”

Sophie’s breath escaped her as a low moan when he pushed in, his thick girth stretching her so fucking perfectly, filling her just right, she could barely even process it. He bottomed out, and she couldn’t help but roll her hips, wanting it all.

“This what you want?” he murmured as he withdrew halfway before thrusting back in. “Feels fuckin’ incredible, don’t it?”

She could only nod helplessly. “Frank, please…”

“Hold on,” he grunted, but barely gave her a chance to move before spreading her thighs even wider and setting a pace that had her crying out in seconds.

Her hands splayed against the walls either side of them, one slipping on the smooth tile while the fingers of the other hooked over the top of the glass door and clung on for dear life. He was brutal with how good he was, hitting all the right spots as he thrust into her hard and deep and scattered kisses she knew would turn into bruises come morning along her neck and shoulder.

“So good… fuckin’ tight… that’s it, sweetheart, just like that…”

Sophie groaned and her hand slipped down from the door to push against the glass, desperate for something to ground her so she wouldn’t lose herself in the pleasure he was inflicting on her. His noises, his grunts and gasps, all of it just pushed her higher and she couldn’t take it, couldn’t hold back, not now, not ever.

“… c’mon, take it… fuckin’ forever, wantin’ this… needed you… fuck, c’mon, girl…”

She clung onto his shoulders, feeling the carved muscle ripple as he started to _move_ her, lifting her up as he pulled out then bringing her back down to meet each thrust in through sheer strength alone. She’d always loved that about him, how built he was, how much raw power his body contained, but being on the receiving end of it? It left her shaking and overwhelmed until she could barely even breathe.

“Frank… _Frank…_ ”

Her walls fluttered and tightened around him, making them both groan. She was already close, but he’d barely even started and the thought had her eyes falling shut as she bowed her head, too consumed by the thick drag of his length to do anything else.

“Look at me,” he growled, hitching her leg higher around him to open her up more than she thought possible. “C’mon.”

She lifted her head and whimpered at the untamed lust in his gaze and the almost pained expression on his face as his brow furrowed with the effort of fucking her so intensely.

“That’s it,” he grunted. “Lemme see… Gotta see…”

Her fingers tugged at his barely-grown hair while her other hand reached down to clamp hold of his corded forearm, taut with the pressure of keeping them both moving. He groaned low in his throat, then captured her lips with his in a biting kiss and shoved her harder against the wall, not letting her move an inch as his hips pistoned up into her relentlessly. His pubic bone ground against her clit with every move and she knew it was coming, knew any second she’d be-

Thick fingers grabbed at her wrists as her back arched violently off the bed, pinning her down against the mattress as she startled awake, chest heaving and body _aching_ with the harsh weight of reality.

“Easy, girl…”

She opened her eyes to see a familiar face inches above hers, mind working overtime to process their current position. Her, flat on her back with his legs trapping hers and his hands splayed against her own to stop her flailing. Him, staring down at her with a mix of concern and anxious resignation, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted his interpretation of what was going on to be the truth or not.

“Frank…” she gasped breathlessly.

“You okay?” he asked gruffly.

She turned her head to the side as her cheeks flushed with shame. It had been a dream… a fucking dream. “Y-yeah.”

“Wanna talk about it?” he gritted out. She quickly shook her head.

“No.”

He frowned, not sure if he believed her or not, then released one of her hands to grip her chin and turn her face back to his. Her gaze met his for just a second before flitting down to his parted lips, and a moan rose up from her throat unbidden. He knew that sound. Fuck, that noise had driven him crazy for weeks, ever since he’d first heard it.

“Sophie.”

The fingers of their joined hands curled together and she closed her eyes, unable to handle the sight of him above her any longer.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, but the unsteady rise and fall of her chest and the tension in her body betrayed her.

He stared at her for a long moment, then sighed before releasing her from his hold and rolling onto his back beside her. Sophie swallowed thickly and stared up at the ceiling, willing her racing heart to calm and her body to ease up its relentless throbbing. She could feel his gaze on her, but was too embarrassed to meet it. It felt like a violation of sorts, to dream about him like that, especially one as vivid as hers had been.

There was no way he couldn’t have realized why she’d been thrashing about the way she knew she must have been, and that moan… fuck, it was worse than when she’d _actually_ made a move, somehow. Then, she’d had the excuse of having alcohol in her system, but this time she had nothing to explain herself with, nothing to hide behind, and it left her feeling more vulnerable than she liked.

They laid their rigidly for the longest time, silence weighing heavy on them both. But then Frank huffed and rolled onto his side, pushing at her hip until she was facing away from him before pulling her back against his chest. Their upper bodies were flush together, but he kept his pelvis back and away from hers, more for his sake than anything else. Her feeling his body’s reaction to that sound… it was a rabbit hole he daren’t let her know was even there.

It didn’t take her long to fall back to sleep after that, though this time, she didn’t seem to dream of him, and for that Frank was grateful. He’d long come to terms with the fact they could never cross that line, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to, didn’t mean his own body didn’t ache with the need to push all the bullshit aside and take what it wanted. What he wanted.

It wouldn’t be fair to bring her in that close when all he’d do was hurt her. His baggage? His bullshit? Nobody deserved to have that fucked up nonsense pushed onto them, least of all her.


	29. Chapter 29

Shane woke like clockwork at dawn. Every morning since the academy. All through his police career and now into the end of the world. The sky visible from the floor to ceiling painted glass windows. Dark violet's and navies tinging soft blues and light pinks as the sun came up.

He props his head up on a pillow. Looks down at Mia laying on top of his chest and abdomen. Her long chestnut locks splayed over her shoulder and down her back, ends tickling his sides as she breathes slow and deep.

His hand moves and brushes some locks from her face, thumb stroking gently over her cheek. She's exhausted. He knows she is. He didn't let her rest till long after midnight. Something just got into him, seeing her like that yesterday afternoon.

Shane watches her sleep. Watches her breathing and the way she clings to him with tight fingers curled and legs bent around his own. Cards his fingers through her hair and down over her bare shoulder. Over the very clear and very large love bites all down her neck.

He thinks back, wondering when exactly he fell for her, and can't place a single moment in time. His first encounter with her, he wanted to help her. Get her off the obvious drugs and lifestyle she was on. After that he just wanted to see her smile. And then that day everything went down. She was left, forgotten in the cell block because of what she was and looking up at him with such hope and fear it damn near broke his heart.

All those years and he didn't really know her. Didn't know her quirks or her likes and dislikes. What music she preferred or her favorite movies.

Now he does. He knows her favorite movie is the Jurassic park trilogy. She prefers metal and rock music over pop and rap. Knows she loves skittles and hates caramel candy. She likes the ocean and hates the desert.

Shane knows her now. And he loves her. His arms wraps around her and tug her further up his chest so she's nestled into his neck. Lips finding her temple and arms snug around her smaller frame.

The sheriffs deputy fell for the local hooker. Rick would be laughing his ass off if he was here.

He taps her shoulder. "Wake up baby." He kisses her eyelids and smiles as she stretches cat like against him. Opens baby blues and smiles sleepily up at him.

“Mornin’.”

He kissed her fondly and ran his hand along her waist. “Mornin’.”

“Time’s’it?” she mumbled, arching into his touch as she blinked in the semi-darkness.

“Early,” he admitted sheepishly.

Mia groaned, but didn’t seem too put out. She was used to it by now – the world going to shit tended to make one’s body adjust to sleep-deprivation that way. “You heard anything from Soph?”

“Nah, but a guy like Frank? He’s gotta be awake by now.”

“Another thing you have in common,” Mia muttered under her breath. “Perfect.”


	30. Chapter 30

He was right, of course. Frank was awake and had been for over an hour, if you counted his light doze as ‘sleep’. He hadn’t really settled back down after _that._ How could he have?

Instead, he’d cleaned his already-cleaned guns, organized their already-organized ammunition, and was halfway through resorting their limited stock of medical supplies. Any-fucking-thing to keep his hands busy and away from her. Distractions and self-deceit? Two of the many skills he had long perfected.

That didn’t stop him from looking up when Sophie started to stir, though. She’d barely moved after her vivid dream, hadn’t really fidgeted in her sleep for months out of a survival instinct, but as she started to wake she rolled onto her back and stretched out, legs kicking away the sheets in the process. Her tank top had ridden up, exposing the flat tone of her stomach, and he had to refocus on the box of medical tape and gauze to stop the itch in his fingers.

It only took her a second to realize he wasn’t there. He heard her inhale sharply, then the rustle of bedclothes as she sat bolt upright in a panic before sighing at the sight of him on the other side of the room.

_She’d fucked up._

She’d known that the moment she’d woken up the first time, but the distance Frank had put between them confirmed it. He hadn’t withdrawn like that since their first month together, not even after _that night_ , and it made her sick to know it was her fault. She couldn’t control her dreams, no, but that didn’t make it okay. She’d just foolishly hoped he’d have given her another free pass and saved her from the awkwardness of _after._

Judging by his fixation on the medical supplies she’d spent an hour sorting the night before, that wouldn’t be the case this time.

“Morning,” she offered quietly.

“Morning.”

Sophie swung her legs round the side of the bed and braced herself against the mattress with her hands. She counted to three, then pushed up and walked over to their bag of clothes before unzipping it roughly. Frank didn’t even look at her, let alone offer his usual half-smile.

“What time’s it?” she asked, grabbing a semi-clean t-shirt and pair of shorts along with fresh underwear.

“Early.”

Sophie sighed and clenched her jaw as she closed her eyes. _Back to this._

“Frank-”

“Just past dawn,” he elaborated gruffly. “Heard footsteps from upstairs a few minutes ago so think they’re probably up, too.”

It wasn’t a dismissal, as such, but it sure as fuck felt like one.

Sophie nodded to herself, then headed into the en-suite bathroom to get changed for once instead of doing it in front of him. She was long past caring if he saw her naked – after stitching each other up and living in such tight quarters for months, nudity wasn’t something either one of them noticed much anymore.

Okay, well, that was a lie. Sophie may not have given a fuck about baring all, but she noticed his even though she liked to tell herself she was human and she could shut that shit down to get the job done. _Frank_ was the one who didn’t even bat an eyelash.

But after last night?

She felt exposed, and Frank’s refusal to even glance her way made it even worse.

She left the door partly open, just in case anything sinister happened, and made quick work of giving herself a once over with the baby wipes she’d left in there before changing into her day’s outfit and pulling her too-long hair up into a high bun.

Once she was done, she spent more time than was necessary folding her nightclothes just for an excuse not to head back out to the firing squad that awaited her. She’d never felt this awkward before, and as much as she wanted to tell herself to get over it, it was never that easy. Not when he was involved.

“You okay in there?” Frank barked, voice rough.

_Fuck._

“Yeah,” she called, then cursed her own stupidity before quickly heading back to the bedroom.

He was done with the medical supplies now, but had moved on to stacking their boxes properly along the second bed. Her stomach dropped. He was clearing room for himself to lie there.

“Thought we laid them out for quick access?” she found herself saying before she could stop herself.

“We did,” Frank agreed.

“Right.” Sophie shuffled her weight from foot to foot, then rolled her neck and threw her folded clothes into a messy heap on what was now probably just _her_ bed to avoid moving closer. “I should probably go see Mia.”

“Meet you downstairs in five.”

She blinked, feeling the rebuff like a knife in the back, then took a hesitant step backwards, and another, until she was almost at the door.

“Soph…”

She turned instantly and cursed herself for being so eager. “Yeah?”

Frank finally looked at her, trigger finger fluttering as his brow furrowed, but instead of saying anything he just grabbed a bottle of water from the bed and threw it at her. Perfect aim.

She almost fumbled it, but managed to cling on by sheer force of will. “Thanks.”

He nodded, then turned back to the bed.

Sophie’s eyebrow raised in disbelief but she didn’t bother trying to coax anything more out of him, simply turning and heading out into the hallway instead. “Asshole.”

That was probably unfair of her to think, but Frank had a talent for shutting himself off when he wanted to and it frustrated her more than anything else in the world. She’d take him bellowing at her or calling her out for crossing the imaginary line he’d set, or Hell, even pulling a gun on her over the forced civility he’d just displayed. And now, going up to see Mia and Shane, the happy couple?

Trust her world to have an apocalypse that _didn’t_ involve zombies.

She trudged up the stairs to the next door and knocked on the door. “Mia, you up?”


	31. Chapter 31

3

"Yeah! Come on in." A bit of shuffling was heard as Sophie opened the door.

Mia's say crossed legged on the big bed. Blankets and sheets rumpled around her as she grunts and whimpers trying to run a brush through her hair. She's only wearing a pink bra and her panties but they've seen each other bare to world too many times to care.

Sophie snickers despite the feeling of hurt from Frank, her sister's hair too long to manage for her and was quite a sight to see. Her arm stretched out and trying to get the brush untangled from the locks of her hair.

"Need some help there?" Sophie asks her and Mia groans and nods, locks of frizzy hair in her face.

"Fuck yes, get this shit out of my face!" Mia talks through the curtain of chestnut hair and Shane smiles from the table. His hands quickly checking his pistols and Mia's bow.

Sophie sits behind her twin and takes the brush from Mia's hands. Her own expertly untangling the wavy locks. And it's like Mia is physic , or it's the twin telepathy. Because she turns to Sophie and raises a questioning brow at her twin.

She shrugs back at Mia, eyes flickering to Shane and then back to her task at hand brushing through Mia's long hair. Mia took the hint.

"Shane? I'm hungry." Mia asks and Shane rolls his eyes, stands and comes over to kiss her cheek and then leaves the room in search of breakfast for her. "You've got about five minutes tops, spill."

Mia turns her shoulder to lock eyes with her sister. Knows there's something wrong with the way Sophie's eyes aren't as bright as they should be and that usual full time smirk is gone from her lips.

"Just, ugh." Sophie doesn't elaborate, instead falling back into the bed and staring up at the high ceiling. Mia follows her to stare too.

"Had a dream and Frank woke me up but..."

Mia sat up on her elbow. "Sex dream?" Sophie nods and Mia understands finally. "And he knew what you dreamed about?"

Sophie nods again and she pulls a pillow over her face to groan. Mia sits up fully and crosses her legs. "From what you told me about him, he might be really conflicted about it? Idk, what I do know is he's stupid for not going after you."

Sophie pulls the pillow back to raise an eyebrow at her twin. "What?" Mia asks. "I'm hot, so that means your hot. He's either blind, conflicted, or gay."

Both of them bursting into soft giggles at that and once they were done smiled at each other. "You gonna be okay?" Mia asks.

"Yeah." Sophie leans forward and presses her forehead to Mia's for a moment of solace. Taking some of that strength she has that never seems to lessen. She'll figure it out, somehow. She's just got to be patient with Frank.

"Good, now braid this shit and get it off me it's hot." Mia grins and Sophie smacks her twins shoulder to turn around. Her hands quickly French braiding Mia's hair down the back and over one shoulder.

Like clockwork Shane comes back with some snack cakes and a bag of skittles for Mia and Sophie both. Mia opening her mouth and Shane dumping in some candies while she braids Sophie hair as well.


	32. Chapter 32

Once Mia was dressed they headed downstairs again, Sophie’s nerves getting the better of her with each step. She hated feeling on edge like she had been ever since she woke up. It was unnatural, to feel anxious or insecure around Frank – he’d never done anything to warrant that until now. And even then, it was her own stupid fault for not holding it together and making him react that way.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Frank was waiting for them in the dining hall and had been for a while, judging by his frown. They’d agreed to meet in five, after all, and it had taken that long for the twins to talk, plus another ten to get their hair braided and prise Mia away from the Skittles.

Sophie grimaced and rubbed the back of her neck, averting her gaze as they joined Frank at the table the two of them had spent hours planning at the night before. She took the seat beside him so Mia and Shane didn’t have to split up, but was too busy focusing on the tablecloth to notice the concern in his gaze when he looked at her.

“Morning, Frank,” Mia greeted cheerfully.

He dipped his chin. “Ma’am.”

“Make any progress last night?” Shane asked, surveying the scrawled upon maps splayed over the surface of the table.

“A little,” Frank affirmed, then turning the center map round so Shane could see it properly. “We came up with a few ideas that should work.”

“I dunno,” Sophie mumbled quietly. “Seems like we took one step forward and two back.”

The three of them stared at her, and it took her a moment to work out why.

“I mean, the entrances? For all our struggle getting in, there are plenty of routes someone could take and we can’t guard all of ‘em at once,” she quickly clarified. “We board up too tight? It’ll be obvious someone’s in here and the last thing we want is a gunfight.”

“We could handle it,” Shane countered, taking in all the weak spots circled in red. There were a lot more than he and Frank had found alone. Clearly, the girls’ love of Disney was proving to be an advantage. “We’ve got the ammo, and the skills.”

“But not a way to restock,” Frank pointed out. “She’s right – we trap ourselves in here, we’ll hurt our chances if anything does happen.”

“Couldn’t’ve been fuckin’ zombies, could it?” Sophie muttered under her breath as she slumped back in her chair.

Frank heard her. Because _duh._ “Zombies would’ve been easier.”

Sophie stared at him, surprised he’d even acknowledged her, but Mia started talking before she could so anything more.

“Newsflash… People suck.”

“No shit,” Sophie agreed.

Shane looked from her, to Frank, then Mia and back again, reading the tension that had seeped into the conversation without them even realizing. She was so like her sister that he recognised the furrow in her brow for what it was – hurt and frustration. The stiff way Frank held himself away from her gave him a clue as to why.

“So where should we start?” he probed, keeping them on task. “You girls know the place better than us – I’m all ears.”


	33. Chapter 33

5

Mia stretches out from the chair, arms above her head before moving to lay them over Shane's shoulders and kiss his cheek. 

"Me and Sophie go around and mark places of the biggest ways in, others we can maybe boobytrap?" She grins and chuckles after a second. 

"What?" Shane asks and Sophie smirks a bit because it's her sister. 

"Booby-traps." She giggles softly and Shane groans to roll his eyes. 

"Swear to god you're five years old." Shane reaches behind her to smack her ass a bit and look back down at the map. 

"We still got that sidewalk chalk Shane?" She asks and he nods. 

"It's in the bag with the knives, don't cut yourself this time." Mia rolls her eyes and runs back upstairs. 

Once they're a ready they head out the main entrance, Shane and Frank following a bit behind the girls. Seeing as now they're having a contest to see who can do the most flips. 

Shane walks with his pistol in the holster and Mia's bow slung over his shoulder. Thumbs in his belt loops as they slowly follow the twins. 

He can see the little glances of Sophie looking back to Frank. Like a teen with her first big crush, challenging another female to something and trying her best to be the best. To be looked at and wanted. And Frank could see it too, the way he tried his best to watch them without watching her. 

Shane rolls his eyes and reaches up to scrub a hand over his eyes, pulls out his pack of cigarettes and lights one up. He needs more soon...

"Trouble in paradise man? She's looking at you like you let her suck you off but didn't let her on for a ride after."


	34. Chapter 34

The single stumbled step and clench of Frank’s jaw was the only sign he’d heard.

“I ain’t stupid, man, I _know_ that look,” he continued to probe. “Summat’s up between the two’a ya, an’ I don’t think it’s-”

This time, it was Shane’s turn to stumble as Frank withdrew his gun and pointed it right at his head.

“What the fuck?!”

The Punisher didn’t even blink at the sound of Mia’s panicked cry, dark eyes fixed on Shane’s with such ferocity it made the officer swallow thickly.

“We’re cool,” he called, extending an arm out to calm Mia as she ran to his side. “Ain’t we, Castle?”

Frank’s finger twitched over the trigger, but Shane knew he wasn’t going to shoot. It was a knee-jerk reaction to having his buttons pushed so thoroughly – buttons Shane would not be trying again any time soon. His relationship, or whatever it was, with Sophie was _definitely_ off-fucking-limits.

“Frank!”

Sophie’s voice pierced the uneasy silence and Frank instantly bent his arm, pulling the barrel up and away from Shane’s head as he straightened his fingers to show he was no longer a threat. That didn’t stop her from angrily shoving at his arm though, and the look in her eyes as she rounded on him made him curse under his breath.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” she snapped. “I thought we agreed to cut this bullshit out.”

“It’s all good,” Shane replied calmly. “Right, Frank?”

“Yeah,” the man ground out. “We’re good.”

Sophie shook her head and huffed out a frustrated breath before turning and walking away. “Idiot.”


	35. Chapter 35

7

Mia rounded on Frank so fast he's glad he didn't see her as a threat. She stalked a few steps forward and if not for Shane's iron grip at her abdomen she'd have slapped him. 

"Mia, it's fine." Shane growled into her ear and she barely responds, just kept pulling at Shane's hold. 

She finally did stop, yanking her frame from Shane's grip and staring at Frank for several moments. Her right hand made a fist, pushing it up to eye level as the other smacked down on the inside of her right elbow. A classic Italian, fuck you. 

Frank raises a brow slightly, knowing exactly what it meant and wondering how she knew it herself. She grabs Shane's hand and yanks the much larger man forward, and only because Shane lets her does he start moving with her. Her obvious protective nature showing full hilt. 

Though Shane knew he'd overstepped a boundary with Frank, and was fucking pissed the asshole pulled a gun on him, he knew Frank must be feeling some strong things for him to act like that. And Shane sort of understands. So he lets Mia lead him but stays just a couple yards from Frank. Man doesn't need to feel anymore left out right now. 

Hours later and they're all tired, sweaty and fucking cranky as hell. Mia's long past her giggling self and is crabby as fuck and bickering with Shane about the stupidest things. And they never actually fight, it's just arguments that end in heated kissing or playful yet tired smacks. Sophie envied her twin, just a bit. 

"Why don't you girls go check out the back rooms for supplies? We'll cart this outside." Shane suggested as they both for a short break. 

Earlier they had found a hidden spot behind a bathroom. A few employee golf carts that ran on batteries and were easy to start. Now they were outside a set of restaurants and ready to end the day but not before they at least stocked up some food.


	36. Chapter 36

Sophie nodded in agreement and started towards the restaurant, but Mia hesitated, not wanting to separate from Shane. She always got like that when she was tired and grouchy - for all their bickering, Shane was the only person she wanted to be around at that moment. She and her twin were too alike and would only get on each other's nerves if they split off together.

"I'll go with her," Frank gruffed out. "Meet you back at the castle."

Mia started to protest, but Shane gently took her hand in his and nodded at Frank in something akin to approval.

He dipped his chin, then followed after Sophie, footsteps hurried until he overtook her just as she reached the entrance to the restaurant. If the sight of him opening the door was startling, the feel of his hand pressing against her lower back to guide her inside was downright shocking.

The two of them quickly made their way to the back of the restaurant and through the service doors, the distance between them shrinking with each meter travelled despite Sophie's attempt at respecting Frank's personal space.

They made quick work of clearing out some of the store rooms, taking what they'd need for a few meals and mentally cataloguing the rest for when they'd inevitably have to return. Frank, being the stronger of the two, carried the crate of canned goods and drink while Sophie grabbed some lighter items off a nearby shelf before adding them to the pile.

"Sure you can carry all that?" she checked, voice almost timid. Frank hated it.

"I got it," he assured her.

Sophie nodded, then pushed some stray strands of hair that had long fallen out of her braid away from her hair before quickly moving past him. In her haste, she caught her foot on the edge of one of the cages that stores trays and started to tumble forwards.

Frank caught her by her elbow before she could fall, somehow balancing the crate while still managing to keep her upright, and the sudden proximity made her inhale a sharp breath.

"You alright?" he asked lowly, dark eyes searching hers.

"Yeah," she assured him quietly. "Thanks."

He slowly released her elbow and adjusted the crate more securely so he had that hand spare as they made their way back outside, ready to catch her just in case she fell again. She didn't, thank God, but part of her wished she had, just so he'd touch her again. She never claimed to be a saint.

He remained close all the way back to the castle, even going as far as holding open the door for her again despite the awkwardness of the crate, and Sophie took it for the olive branch it was.

Shane and Mia were already waiting when they got to the dining hall and eyed them both questioning as they headed over to their table, taking in their resumed closeness.

"Think they fixed things?"


	37. Chapter 37

9

Shane ignored Mia's nosiness and tugged her back to sit on his lap. Despite the heat outside, the castle was cooler and Shane was taking advantage of it by having her close to him. 

"Leave'm be baby. They'll figure it out." He whispered gently into her ear and wrapped his left arm around her lower back to clasp at her hip. Keeping her close as he used the other hand to hold his cigarette. 

She didn't even protest, too tired and worn for an argument or even to bicker. She scrunched her nose and sniffed at Shane's shoulder. "You need a bath."

His hand on her hip moves to spank her gently. "You do too missy." He exhaled smoke into her face only for her to inhale it and exhale as if she's taken a puff herself. 

"How are we gonna do that?" Sophie pipes up, moving to sit on a table, pulling her legs beneath her and folding them. Frank settling in a chair just to her left. 

"Erm, Shane?" Mia was lost and looked to Shane who scrunched his face up in thought. Lips pursing as he took another drag from the coffin nail between his fingers. 

"How are we gonna manage that? Ain't never had to before." Shane looks to Frank with a raised brow. The other man had far more experience working with nothing to get by.


	38. Chapter 38

“You guys got a tub, right?”

“Yeah, but no water or electric,” Shane replied, “and I ain’t wasting the bottled stuff.”

“Won’t need to.” Frank glanced at Sophie and she raised an eyebrow, almost reading his mind.

“You think that’ll work?” she murmured.

Frank shrugged a shoulder. “Worked in Miami.”

“For a shower,” Sophie reminded him, then considered it for a moment before tipping her head to the side. “Park like this… all the conservation they do…”

“Okay, Sophie?” Mia interrupted, irritation tainting her tone. “I don’t speak _Franphie_ so you’re gonna have to use your words, okay?”

Sophie startled, then frowned when she processed what her sister had said. “ _Franphie?_ Seriously?”

Mia just raised an eyebrow in response.

“Urgh.” Sophie rolled her eyes. “Fine. In Miami, we found this place, had this tank. The valves were shut off, so the water didn’t run, but we managed to get it started again along with this propane system – got just enough hot water for a quick shower.”

“You think they’ll have that here?”

“There’s a chance,” Frank replied gruffly. “Ain’t likely someplace like this ain’t gonna have some kinda of water tank or solar shit or somethin’.”

“We just gotta find it,” Sophie added, then turned to face Frank and put her hand on his shoulder as an idea came to her. “The moat. They gotta drain that and refill it somehow, right? We find where that leads…”

“We’ll find the main tank,” he finished.

“And if they don’t use propane?” Mia countered. “Then we got water but no heat, and I don’t want a cold bath.”

“Bucket shower,” Shane realized. “You heat the water separate, then add it to a bucket above you which rains down like a shower, but instead we can just put it in the tub. Not ideal, but better than nothing.” He turned to the others. “It’s a solid plan.”

“It’s gettin’ dark though,” Sophie noted, “I don’t know if we’ll find the main one by then.”

“Maybe not,” Frank allowed. “But they gotta have a smaller one for the suites, right?” He looked to Shane. “You got any tools?”

Shane smirked. “RV came with a whole box.”

“Then you two go be masculine, and we’ll sort the food,” Mia told them, shooting Sophie a pointed glance when she opened her mouth to disagree.

“Yeah,” the younger twin relented. “Just… be sensible.”

Frank nodded and pushed himself to his feet, one hand bracing itself on her knee. “Got a couple flashlights, too.”


	39. Chapter 39

11

Once both Shane and Frank were gone, much to Mia's chagrin and worry over Shane. She helped Sophie sort what supplies they gathered today. It wasn't much but it was at the same time. Crates of flour and sugar still good. More filled with canned goods and some big jugs of water too. It's more real food then they'd seen in awhile instead of candy. 

Mia sat back in a lounge chair, her feet hurt and she was still sticky from the days heat. She was tired and knew her sister felt the same. Her hand itches for a blunt. She wanted to mellow out. 

"Hey Soph?" 

"Hmm?" Sophie's head popped up from her own chair as if she had been dozing off. 

"Got a bottle of wine... Wanna get hammered?" Mia asked as she hung over the arm of the chair to look at her sister. 

"Fuck yes." Her twin groaned. Mia leapt from her seat and rummaged through a crate half filled with cans and found the wine bottle from the restaurant. 

"It's French, must be good right?" Mia shrugged and crowded into her sisters space on the chair. Sitting across Sophie's lap and both of them simply locking into place without any discomfort. Nine months in the same womb will do that to you. 

"Just pop it open, been a long day." Sophie claws at the bottle while Mia tiredly tries to pop the cork out of it. With some grunting and some elbows in ribs the cork popped free. Spraying the floor and them a bit with the fizz from the shaken bottle. 

Both of them laughed at the froth and shrugged, Mia taking the first sip and scrunching her face up. "Why does wine always taste weird?"

Sophie shrugs and takes her own taste of the liquid, her face not as scrunched but the same expression on her face from the taste. 

They pass the bottle back and forth, sharing it as they relaxed and let the days worries and strifes wash over them. Mia contemplated the boys, well men. How with Frank and Shane both here she and Sophie were double protected now. Safe from grabbing hands and bruising holds. 

It's not long and Mia's starting to giggle out of nowhere. Sophie busting out into laughter as Mia giggles. One reacting to the other. They're not fully drunk, but they're getting there. 

"Hey, hey hey." Mia's poking at Sophie's cheek. 

"Whhhhhaaat?" 

"This is what dreams are made of Sophie!" Mia bends her back a bit over the arm of the chair, pointing to the high ceilings and grandeur around them. The literal castle they were living in. 

Sophie snickers and rolls Mia off her lap to the floor. Using the bottle as a microphone as she stands on the overstuffed cushion. She points at her twin. 

"Have you ever seen such a beautiful night, I could almost kiss the stars for shining so bright." Sophie sings out softly, it's a little pitchy but they don't care. 

"When I see you smiling down I go   
Oh!" Mia songs the next line.

"Oh!"

"O-oh!"

"I would never want to miss this   
Cause in my heart I know what this is..." Sophie jumps down and helps her sisters up. 

"Hey now!" Mia shoves her hip into Sophie's playfully. 

"Hey now!" Sophie takes a drink after her words. 

"This is what dreams are made of!" Mia takes the bottle and launches herself onto one do the thick sturdy tables. 

"I've got Somewhere I belong!" Sophie climbs onto the table next to Mia's hips starting to move as they sing together. 

"I've got somebody to love." Mia smiles and copies her sisters movements. 

Now there starting to get into it. The bottle nearly gone and both of them dancing what they can remember of the Disney movie. 

"Have you ever wondered what life is about?" 

"You could search the world and never figure it out!" Mia handed Sophie the rest of the bottle and started humming the background vocals. 

"You don’t have to sail the oceans , no!"

"No!"

"No! Happiness is no mystery it's here and now its you and me and..." Sophie giggled as Mia stumbled but kept up her dancing. 

"Hey now!"

"Hey now!"

"This is what dreams are made of." There's feet are stepping in time with each other as much as their tipsy toes allow them. 

Mia pointed out to her twin and Sophie did too, laughing as they messed up the verse but they didn't care. It's the most they're laughed in a long while. 

Shane covers his lips with his finger from the opened doorway. Frank was already nodding, keeping his steps quiet as they watched the girls sing to each other off key. 

Their steps are drunken and stumbling, both of the men seeing the empty bottle of wine on the ground beneath them. Mia's now across her table and onto Sophie with a stumbling leap. Arms around each other as they giggle and sing the last verse. 

"I've got, somewhere I belong!" Sophie starts and smiles. 

"I've got, somebody to love." Mia laughs and hangs on her sister a bit. 

"This is what dreams, are made of!"


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Sophie because stress is a killer and we’re too young and pretty for that shit

"Oooh! Do you think we could make cookies?" Mia suddenly wondered, eyes widening with excitement.

"We haven't got an oven," Sophie slurred. She pushed Mia off her and groaned when the movement made her head spin. "Shit, I think I'm drunk."

"Need more wine," Mia mumbled.

"No, you don't."

Mia shrieked and fell flat on her ass as Shane stepped into view, his lips turned up in a smirk at the sight of her sprawled on the floor with legs akimbo and an indignant look on her face.

Sophie burst out laughing, amusement overriding her shock, then cried out as Mia yanked on her ankle to topple her off the chair and onto the floor beside her.

She landed just as gracelessly as her sister, hitting her tailbone hard in the process, then smacked at Mia's arm with more force than she'd intended. "Bitch!"


	41. Chapter 41

"Slut!" Mia kicked out at her twin and caught Sophie in the knee with her booted foot just enough to hurt. 

"Ugh you did not." Sophie slurred and they were at each other quickly. Lazy punches and kicks as they rolled around on the floor for a second or two before Shane and Frank decided to pull them apart. 

Both of them panting for several seconds before giggling out. "I love you So-So... So Sophie mo mophie." Mia snickers and slumps into Shane's hold. "Ohhh Shaaaaaane!" 

She laughs and starts to claw her way back to stand and wrap her arms around his neck. "Heeeeey bayyyyyyyyby." She slurs and starts to kiss over his neck sloppily. 

"Mnnn wuv you Mimi!" Sophie laughs at her twin and realizes she isn't standing on her own. Frank's got her against his side and she ..


	42. Chapter 42

"Mnnn wuv you Mimi!" Sophie laughs at her twin and realizes she isn't standing on her own. Frank's got her against his side and her eyes lit up, all thoughts of the earlier tension between them forgotten. “Look, everybody – it’s Frank!”

He raised his eyebrow at her as she tried her best to compose herself and put on her best attempt at a sober face. It wasn’t very successful, but it did made him crack a fond half-smile. It wasn’t often she was this relaxed. “Ma’am.”

“Why you frownin’ for, Frowny Frank?” she muttered, poking at the furrow in his brow with her finger to try to relax it. “Izzit ‘cause I’m drunk? ‘Cause I promise I won’t walk off again like last time. That was kinda stupid.”

“Last time?” Shane quizzed as he steadied Mia and tried to ignore her grabbier-than-usual hands.

“Yep!” Sophie replied, popping the ‘p’ and sighing as she patted Frank’s shoulder. “The only time, too, ‘cause I ain’t that stupid, but I don’t think Frank liked it very much. He was very Frowny.”

“Ohhhh, was that the night you-” Mia began, but Sophie quickly cut her off.

“Mia, shuddup!” She waved her hand in a shushing motion. “I was sober then – I make good choices – which is kinda funny, ‘cause that was also stupid, too. I’m a Stupid Sophie.”

Shane looked to Frank when it became clear Sophie wasn’t going to elaborate further than that. She was obviously more of a rambling drunk than her sister was, but not the kind to spill all her secrets at once either.

“The police station was empty,” Frank supplied. Shane didn’t need to ask which police station – the glance he shot towards Mia said enough. “She ran off.”

“I was sad so I wanted a drink!” Sophie defended. “An’ an’ then these guys came and Frank got mad and did his… Punisher thing, an’-”

“He’s not the Punisher,” Mia reminded her, pointing her finger at her sister. “He’s Frank.”

“Same thing,” Sophie dismissed, then turned to Frank and tried to hold herself together as she levelled with him. “It’s okay this time, though, ‘cause I could still kick ass right now, Frank, I swear.”

“She could, y’know,” Mia slurred as she leaned into Shane, pride shining through in her words. “She knows yoga, and she can hold herself up the pole with just her elbow. She taught me things.”


	43. Chapter 43

Shane sighs and changes his grip on Mia, who's now not even standing on her own feet but leaning heavily on him. "It's true, Shane knows how good I am on a pole."

She giggles and laughs, pressing against him. "Remember Shane? That fire station we looted?" She laughs as Shane smirks down at her. 

"I think it's time to sober you both up." Shane picks up Mia by the waist and plonks her down in the chair from earlier. 

Frank doing the same to Sophie in the next seat and pointing at Sophie. "Stay." 

Sophie only giggles and points back at his chest. "Sir yes shur." Frank gives her a mild smirk and moves over to Shane who’s going through the food they grabbed today. 

Mia pokes Sophie shoulder and that starts a whole new giggling fit. Like children, in seconds flat they're on the floor tickling each other and laughing out. Tugging on loose braids and clothes alike. 

"Fucking five years old..." Shane gripes from the table as he searches from the cans of food. 

"You love her." Frank's voice and words were soft enough the girls couldn't hear but Shane did. His head popping up to glance wide eyed. 

Shane chuckles and nods, scrubbing a hand through his short dark curls. "Yeah, I fucking love her. She's a... She's somethin’ else."

Finally finding a simple can of fruit cocktail, Frank opens the can and Shane helps the girls back into their chairs. Making sure each of them have a bottle of water and get a cup of mixed fruit. It's not much but it’s better than candy. 

Mia's chewing softly. Picking out cherries and putting them in Shane's cup. Trading pears with Sophie for chunks of oranges simply by feeding each other with soft giggles. 

"Shaaaaaaaaaaane." She's leaning over her chair to grin at Shane, still quite drunk but it's wearing off by the droopy look in her tired eyes. 

Shane chuckles and reaches over to brush some of her frizzy hair from her face. "Yes princess."

"Are we gonna fuck? I need to fuck you ." Shane chokes and starts laughing at the seriousness of her face and voice. 

"I think you should be sober first." Shane tries to get her to drink some more water. 

"But Shannnnnnnne I want sex..." She starts pouting and Sophie giggles at her twin. 

"Oh shut it so-so." Mia sticks her tongue out childishly and Sophie just laughs harder. Frank watching all with a barely there fond smirk at the sisters antics. 

Mia points to Frank suddenly with this absolute serious expression. "You need to fuck my sister. Like really fuck her, hard. She needs laid, soooooooooooooo bad is s’not even funny?"

"Mia!" Sophie yells and Shane claps a hand over Mia’s mouth. 

"And that's my cue to get her to bed." Shane stands and picks up Mia without a thought. Trying to silently apologize to Frank as he makes his way past with a half passed out horny twin in his arms


	44. Chapter 44

"Fucking fuck." Sophie dropped her head to the table with a low groan. Her face was so flushed, it probably matched the cherries in her cup. "I'm so fucking sorry, ignore her, I'm fine, I got this, I'm good, just pretend that didn't happen okay?"

Frank chuckled and plucked a piece of fruit from her cup.

"Besides, I have hands and my imagination so-" Sophie's head shot up from the table so fast she almost toppled over. "Not that I'd ever- I wouldn't- I mean- you're you and I have eyes but- oh, holy fucking fuck."

She cringed at her own moronic babble and got up from her chair on unsteady legs before taking a shaky step back. Her hand scrubbed over her face and she glanced up at the wall as if looking for a clock.

"Oh, look, it's bedtime," she announced despite not finding a clock, avoiding Frank's gaze. Without Mia there, she suddenly felt startlingly more sober and it made her itchy to get out. "I'm gonna just go and not dream about things 'cause I'm not usually that rude and do have some manners, I promise. That way, you won't have Frowny Frank face and we can just move on and go back to being survival partners, 'cause I know that's all we're gonna be, I swear I do, I know it'll never-"

Frank caught her by the bicep before she could run away and turned her to face him. "Sophie."

"Let go," she whispered, tone pleading. The wine only made it harder to keep the embarrassment at bay - it had been easy to act like it was all nothing, but that dream had felt so real, brought every repressed desire to the surface... it was humiliating, to have her own sub-consciousness out her like that after she'd tried so hard to stay neutral. She wanted to just forget about it. She was good at that. "Frank, please..."

"I ain't right."

Her watery eyes found his dark ones, and she shivered at the intensity within them. He'd never looked at her like that before.

"I'm outta my fuckin' skull, and you..." His expression softened slightly and he brought his other hand up to touch the side of her neck. "You deserve better."

"I don't want better." She shook her head and tried to step away. "Just let go of me. Please. I can't- I'm not thinking straight. So I'll go to my bed and you can have your new bed you prepped this morning."

"New bed?" Frank repeated gruffly, trying to ignore the echo of those first four words. I don't want better, I don't want better... I want you.

"I saw you clear it this mornin'," Sophie sighed sadly. She stared down at the ground, missing Frank's remorseful expression. "And I'm so sorry I made you feel that uncomfortable, but I get it, I do-"

"You didn't make me uncomfortable," he murmured lowly. "I did. And I ain't changing beds, not unless you want me to."

"That doesn't make any sense." Sophie looked up and felt her eyes widen slightly. "Oh."

"Yeah." Frank's head tilted to the side. "Oh."

"I should be sober for this conversation," she mumbled. "Or more drunk. Much more drunk. And you. You need a drink too."

"You're Goddamn right I do," he agreed. "But Disney ain't got my poison so let's just go to sleep, hmm? We can talk about it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Sophie parroted.

Frank nodded once. "If you remember this conversation... yeah."

Upstairs, Shane was making a similar bargain with Mia, who was trying to seduce him into giving her what she was craving.

"If you still want to try it tomorrow, we can re-evaluate."

"But wine makes it easier, you won't even need much lube, it'll slide right in and-"

"Mia! I'm not fuckin' your ass or anything else while you're this drunk, okay?" Shane batted her hands away and pinned her to the bed, keeping his hips firmly away from hers. "That's technically rape."


	45. Chapter 45

Sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows right into Mia's face and it made her groan to wakefulness. Her head pounded out a samba. Her mouth felt fuzzy and dry and her stomach wanted to heave what little she'd had to eat last night. 

She was hungover. Fuck.

Mia rolls over to ease the ache in her stomach, nestling into the cool space where Shane was supposed to be. She would have sat up if the act didn't make her what to hurl. Instead she just cracked an eye open and found him in the arm chair watching her with a soft smile on his face. 

"Shane." Her voice is cracked and weak but she smiles and reaches out her arms. Like a child she wants held and to apologize for her behavior, a bit. 

Shane moves and climbs into bed with her. Gentle as he moves her into his lap and kisses her cheek softly. 

"How bad did I get?"

Shane chuckles and brushes some of her tangled hair from her face. "You wanted anal." 

Mia groans and covers her face as she turns a very dark shade of red. "Oh god, I didn't."

"You did, repeatedly." Shane just chuckles softly at her embarrassment. It's nothing new to them, to him, seeing her totally out of it and wanting something she'll regret. But he's always kept her at bay when she gets this bad. 

"Fuck..." Shane just smiles and kisses her temple. It's a rare thing, for her to get drunk. And normally he'd be angry. But she's found her sister and they were all in a safe place. 

As the headache subsides and her stomach settles, she moves to straddle Shane's lap and look up into his face. Her eyes searching and his brow furrows at her. 

"What?"

"Nothing." She smiles, slow and wide. Leans up to kiss his cheek and settles back against his chest. Her fingers tracing lights shapes over his forearm that's at her thigh. "We better get moving, see if Sophie's hungover too."


	46. Chapter 46

Her head was heavy, yes, and she knew standing up any time soon would probably have been a bad idea, but she felt as close to content as she had in a long time. Frank was holding her close to his chest, running his fingertips down her back and up again in an endless loop, and probably had been for a while.

His heart beat a steady rhythm beneath her ear as she laid there, arm slung across his waist and one leg twined with his, but it had picked up slightly when she’d first woken up, telling her he knew she was awake. Neither one of them had said anything, nor had he made any attempt to separate them. If anything, he’d just held her tighter, like he was expecting her to run at any moment. Like he was expecting her to have forgotten their conversation.

She hadn’t.

They could have been laying there for hours. Minutes. Seconds. Sophie couldn’t have said with any certainty which. But eventually, the question that had been rising in her throat like a bubble started to suffocate her and she had to let it out.

“Did you mean it?”

His fingers stilled. “Yes.”

The rough rawness of his voice made her shiver and close her eyes. It was full of more emotion than a single word shouldn’t have been able to carry.

“All of it?” She had to know.

He swallowed thickly, but his fingers resumed their trail, slower and more purposeful than before. Sophie closed her eyes.

“Every word.”

She lifted her head, then, so she could see his face in the half-light. He met her gaze openly, letting her read the truth in his eyes. And, fuck, did she see it. Plain as day.

If he wasn’t denying it, neither would she.

“Okay,” she whispered.

The corner of Frank’s mouth curved up in a fond half-smile he only ever seemed to give her. “Okay.”

Sophie’s eyes flicked down to Frank’s bottom lip as her teeth sank into her own one, wanting nothing more than to-

He kissed her.

He kissed her.

Slow, tender, lingering… His fingers curled around her waist, and she moaned softly as he deepened the kiss, pulling her half on top of him. His other hand slid up to into her hair while hers pushed against his chest to bring their faces closer. She couldn’t get enough. He couldn’t get enough.

He smoothed the palm on her waist down over her ass, squeezing firmly before dipping slightly lower and pulling her leg over both of his so she was straddling him. Sophie braced herself on her forearms, long hair held back only by the tease of his fingers tugging and coaxing, but Frank shifted beneath her so she was flush against him… chest, stomach, hips… He was the one making those steps this time, the one crossing that line, not her.

Sophie groaned as Frank kissed his way across her jaw to her throat, whole body coming to life like an ember finally bursting into flame. She was so warm. Her pelvis ground down against his, and he grunted into her mouth, pushing up against her the way he’d wanted to that night he’d forced himself to hold back. To not involve her. To not tangle her life with his too much.

They rocked together, small movements that felt huge, somehow, as his mouth captured hers again. She let her lips part, tongue teasing his, then moaned when he tugged on her hair and palmed her ass again, hand feeling huge and rough even through her thin sleep shorts.

“Frank…”

“Wake up, bitches!”

Frank heard Mia’s gleeful cry and obnoxious knocking, but didn’t pull away. Not immediately, anyway. Instead, he slowed their kiss gradually, loosened his hold on Sophie’s hair, and pressed their foreheads together. She was shaking.

“Soph! C’mon, don’t tell me you’re still asleep!”

Sophie huffed out a frustrated breath, squeezing her eyes shut like she could freeze time if she tried hard enough. Frank chuckled lowly, then nudged her nose with his affectionately to get her to open her eyes again and tipped his head in the direction of the door.

“She ain’t gonna go away,” he murmured.

“No,” Sophie sighed. “She’s not.”

With a groan, she rolled off Frank and grabbed her hoodie from the floor, wrapping it round her as she padded over to the door on shaking legs. “Mia, for the love of fuck!”

The door swung open, and Mia’s eyes widened.


	47. Chapter 47

Mia looked into the room to glance at Frank tugging the sheet over his very tented boxers. To her twin that was flushed and her breathing a little unsteady. Cheeks rosy and pupils wide, bottom lip bitten and swollen. 

She smirked and casually leaned her shoulder into the door jam. Got a full view of Frank raising an eyebrow at her and her twin trying to close the door again. 

"Bout fucking time castle." Mia winked at him and then smirked back at her sister’s gasping face of embarrassment. 

"Hey Frank?"

She hears a rough grunt in response. 

"Little spot behind her ear, makes her go nuts." Mia dodged the punch Sophie aimed at her and started laughing as Sophie slammed the door shut. Both of them listening to her soft cackling long until it vanished down the stone walls. 

"I'm gonna fucking kill h-." She could feel it. Frank behind her. She hadn't even heard him get up or move. Felt the scant inch between them. 

"She tellin the truth?" Hot breath on her neck, could feel it trough her hair and couldn't hold back the shudder.


	48. Chapter 48

Frank’s fingertips brushed across her shoulder and pulled her hair away from her neck, his touch making it hard to focus.

“Th-the truth?”

Frank’s lips traced the same path his fingers had, pressing open-mouthed kisses across her skin until he reached the spot where her neck and shoulder met. Sophie tipped her head slightly to the side without even being aware of it, then felt her knees wobble when his lips found the spot Mia had mentioned.

“Mmm, she was,” he almost growled, and if it weren’t for his arm sliding around her waist, her legs probably would’ve given out. She couldn’t believe this was happening, that he was the one openly touching her now, that this was somehow even better than her dream and he’d barely even done anything yet.

“Frank…” Her hands clutched his arm as he drove her crazy with his lips and tongue, teasing the place he’d discovered while the hot wall of muscle that was his body pressed against her back and his fingers splayed over her hip.

“You wanna talk?” he murmured, deep and quiet.

Sophie let her head fall back to his shoulder and closed her eyes, breath hitching as his fingers slipped under the waistband of her shorts to ghost across her bare skin. “We should.”

He nodded against her neck, but his hand moved further south and his foot nudged hers further apart as he kissed her skin open-mouthed and slow. Sophie’s hips pushed forward in a silent plea for more, and she was rewarded by his fingertips grazing over her folds to tease her clit, touch light but hitting every nerve.

“Frank.”

“We can talk,” he promised, fingers beginning to move in slow circles that made her legs shake. She could feel how wet she was, hear the slick, gentle sounds each movement made, and it had soft moans escaping her lips like a litany.

“We gotta,” she panted, though the reasons why that was so important were fading into the background more and more with every stroke. She turned as much as she could so their lips could meet, kissing him hotly as the ball of tension in her body started to tighten. “Frank…”

“Later.” First one, then two of his thick digits slipped inside her and the sound that left her mouth was loud and untamed, echoed by a groan of his own. “Just wanna feel ya.”

Sophie nodded weakly and let herself melt back against him, trusting him not to let her fall. His breaths were hot against her neck and his hair brushed against her temple as he honed in on that spot behind her ear again, making her shudder.

“C’mon, Soph…”

His fingers crooked against the place inside her that sent electric pleasure straight through her core, and with her name on his lips like that… She clutched at his arm and tightened hard around him as she cried out his name, overwhelmed by sensation and emotion and him. It made her legs buckle, but he kept her upright with his arm and groaned when her hips rocked back into his.

“Frank… Frank…” she whimpered, and as soon as his hand was out her shorts, wet fingers sliding across her skin, she twisted in her arms to kiss him hard and deep. His mouth opened under hers, their tongues curling and hands grabbing and it was too much yet not enough and…

His fingers circled round her wrist before her hand could reach the front of his boxer-briefs, stopping her from touching him.

“Wh-”

“Talk first,” he reminded her, lips brushing hers as he spoke.

Sophie frowned, but it was softened by the flush of her cheeks and the almost dazed look in her eyes. “But, what about…”

“I can wait - not the first time you’ve done this.”

Sophie laughed a little breathlessly and pressed her forehead to his. Hearing him acknowledge then so blatantly after spending so long pretending it hadn’t happened… “Sorry about that.”

“I’m not,” he murmured lowly.

Sophie swallowed thickly, gaze flicking to his lips, then took a steadying breath and stepped back to put some much-needed distance between them. “Later?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, then leaned in to kiss her one last time, lingering longer than was strictly necessary, before releasing her hips so she could move past him to get dressed.

It wasn’t awkward, like she’d expected it to be. Instead, there was this new level of comfort between them there hadn’t been before, not like this anyway. A casual touch to her bare back as he leaned round her to grab a t-shirt, a brush of her fingers over his stomach as she moved to the bathroom to freshen up best she could. Neither one of them held back from touching each other the way they’d always wanted to.

When they were ready to go, Sophie felt dread settle in her stomach and paused at the door, face flushing.

“What?” Frank’s voice rumbled from behind her.

“Mia,” Sophie groaned, turning to look at him. “She’s gonna be insufferable.”

“Probably,” he had to agree, but he didn’t sound too bothered by it. It made her frown.

“You don’t care?”

Frank shrugged. “Gotta get used to that shit, right?”

It took her a few moments to realize what his words meant, but when she did she couldn’t stop herself from cupping his face in her hands and kissing him, soft and tender.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Guess you do.”

And it was a good thing he was willing to, too, because when they reached the dining hall Mia’s reaction was instantaneous.


	49. Chapter 49

Mia grinned so wide Sophie thought it was a wonder her face hadnt ripped in half as they moved into the hall. Sophie could see it in her sisters eyes, the teasing and taunting on the tip of Mia's tongue. 

She's humming gently as Sophie and Frank make their way further into the large room. Tapping out a slow rhythm with her fingers as she hums and smirks widely. 

"Out with it Mia, get it over with." Sophie spat out and frowned as Mia only smiled sweetly. 

"Awww Sophie honey. I know I barged in this morning, but a guy like Frank? If he's anything like Shane it's hard for him to hold back."

"Mia.." Shane warned from his seat a table over as she ignored him. 

"Didn't get very far sis? I gave you plenty of time for a quickie at least. Bet you're both backed up from so long without any action."

Sophie growled, Mia was enjoying this, teasing. "Mia stop it, that's enough."

"Aw come on Sophie! Here we'll take a day off, go fuck your man that wasn't your man but is now your man. And I'll go suck Shane off again like I did this morning. Twice."


	50. Chapter 50

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Sophie threw her hands up in the air, but instantly calmed as Frank’s fingers stroked over her lower back.

“I ain’t going anywhere.” His eyes were on Mia, but his words were for Sophie. “Better to take the time to get this place sorted now, so we can take our time later.”

Sophie flushed and leaned back into his touch as Mia’s smirk widened, but before the older twin could say a word, Shane squeezed her thigh tight under the table.

“He’s right, Darlin’,” he agreed. “We made progress with the water, but that tank ain’t gonna last forever and if we can get some electric goin’? The heatin’?”

Mia didn’t need to be told twice. “Then what we waitin’ for? I want that fucking bath!”

“Food first,” Sophie sighed. She could feel a headache coming on – delayed hangover or stress, she wasn’t quite sure.

Frank’s thumb swept over her back one last time before he nudged her forward and moved to grab them a bottle of water and the box of near-stale cereal they’d found the night before. It wasn’t ideal, but it would work for now – he knew her stomach probably couldn’t handle much else, despite how okay she’d seemed when she first woke up.

Sophie took her seat opposite Mia at the table and ignored the knowing look her sister was giving her, instead turning her attention to Shane. “So, these perimeter sweeps you mentioned yesterday – when dya wanna start?”

Frank walked back over as the two started discussing a plan and settled beside Sophie, half-facing her in his seat as he opened the bottle for her. She took it from him gratefully, taking a long swig mid-sentence before passing it back and letting her hand fall to his knee. He glanced to Mia, who was watching them both with a small smile.

She met his gaze and gave him the slightest smile. He dipped his chin in silent acknowledgement.

“What do you think, Frank?” Sophie asked, squeezing his leg.

Frank didn’t miss a beat. “Both pairs going at once would leave the castle undefended – we’d be better off just splitting it. One pair does morning round, the other does the night.”

“This one ain’t a morning person,” Shane reminded him as Mia scoffed, “but it makes sense.”

“We’ll take morning shift then,” Sophie suggested, glancing to Frank. “We’re early risers.”

“No shit,” Mia mumbled. Sophie glared at her half-heartedly, but there was no fire in it.

“As for the water and electric,” Shane plowed on, nudging Mia with his knee. “You said something about the moat?”

Sophie grabbed a handful of cereal out the box Frank offered her and nodded, throwing a few pieces into her mouth. “Fuck, that shit’s stale. But, uh, yeah, think that’ll be our best shot?”

She turned out to be right. Kind of.

There was a water tank and a propane system… it just wasn’t connected to the supply for the suites.

“Well…” Shane sighed, looking to Mia. “There goes that bath.”

Frank shrugged. “Dunno why you’re complaining – hot shower’s just as good.”

Sophie flushed as she turned off the shower, memories of her dream flashing through her brain.

“It’s fucking ages away,” Mia lamented. “I don’t wanna trudge out to the staff area every time I need a piss, either.


	51. Chapter 51

"Don't need to." Shane sipped some water as he rubbed his hand up and down Mia's thigh under the table. "We can fix up the inside water. Won't have heat but toilets will work fine baby."

She only looked moderately annoyed at the fact they won't have hot water immediate near them. Her gaze darkening slightly as she side eyes Shane. She knew what he was doing. Distracting her from teasing her twin. 

"So we need to finish setting up the traps and signals on the pathways. Figure out our exact perimeter again and teach you to shoot a gun." Shane raised an eyebrow at Mia and she only scoffed and stood up. Finished with her bag of skittles. 

"I can shoot my bow just fine." She snipped and rolled her eyes. 

"Guns'r faster." Frank commented.

"Okay let's get to work." Mia snarked and stalked off from the room. Leaving all of them behind as she angrily stomped her boots on without tying the laces and grabbed her bow everyone hated so much.

She hated guns. They terrified her. Being held and groped at gunpoint multiple times does nothing to quell that fear either. Shane caught up with her easy enough, gripping her wrist and spinning her into his chest. 

"Hey." He's holding her against his chest, backing her to the stone and wood wall between two columns. 

"What?" Her voice is snappish, angry.

"I want you safe baby. All I want." His lips ghost over her own and he can feel her sag some from the contact. All that anger from nowhere gone again like it came. 

"No." She still wasn't going to do it. 

"Okay." He didn't fight her on it. Just made sure she was alright and then met up with Frank and Sophie so they could finish their work today. There was more to do to make surethey were really safe. 

Once the rest of the traps were set, and the golf carts once again loaded with supplies from the restaurants, Shane waved Frank and Sophie off to the castle. Saying he'd take the first round of watch with Mia while they had a hot shower before bed. 

As Sophie and Frank rode away on the golf cart Shane tugged Mia to his hip and started slowly walking the way around their new home. The suns setting and casting shadows, heat dwindling to something beatable. 

The pathways towards the castle were now boobytrapped and signals waiting to be tripped. But they left a clear path all around the moat for easy access and for their patrols. 

Shane's hand was set on her hip, tugging her into his side as they walked the perimeter. His thumb running gentle circles over her hipbone as she leans her head on his shoulder. Her hand in his back pocket, grabbing a handful of his ass and not being the least bit shameful about it. 

It should have bothered him. Really it should. The way she's so blatantly obvious with her sexuality and body. She never cared to walk around in the nude all day. Use her body and eyes and mouth to get what she wanted. But it didn't bother him. 

Since everything went to shit. She's never tried that with anyone they'd come across. Too terrified of being raped or hurt by anyone that came close to her. And that behavior was there before she was nabbed and nearly broken. She was stuck to his hip, now in more ways than one. 

Refusing to give another male a glance more than a moment. Only giving Frank looks because of the uncanny near identical resemblance between he and Shane. There was nothing sexual in her glances and it eased his mind and heart to know that. She was his. 

His hand tightened and gripped her hip a bit more. Enough to make her stumble and look up at him only to catch his hungry haze and return it easily. Her free hand sliding up his chest a bit. 

Like many times before they didn't need words or heavy flirting to get where they needed to be. Just a look, a touch, a lingering hungry gaze. Anything could put them on their game. 

Shane glanced around and saw a cluster of thin trees carpeted by soft moss nearby. The hedgerow over growing with no care and because of that providing a tiny little hidden spot. A few tugs and Mia was standing on the mossbed beneath them, clutching to his shirt as he nipped and bit his way down her throat. His hands tugging on the button of her shorts. 

"Shane." She whispers softly, her voice breathy as she arches her back. Careful not to lean too far or risk falling on her ass. 

Shane's hands always made her heart beat faster when he touched her. Like each fingertip was jolting her body alive with electricity only he could provide. Making her body come alive like a live wire under his touch of lips and hands. 

"You know we have a bed now, a real one." She's says breathlessly laughing as Shane only grins. 

"I know." He's hrinning ear to ear, hands settling on her hips and tugging her down to the cool miss beneath them. Settling her to straddle his lap as he kisses over her collarbone. 

Her head rolls back as Shane starts to nip his teeth lightly against her flesh that's flushing more from his touch then the heat of the day wearing off. Hands reaching up to curl into his short hair and tug him where she wants him. Knowing Shane only lets her because of he didn't want it he'd hold still with his strength. 

Shane tugs her tank top off, groaning out realizing she wasn't wearing a bra and attaching the gloves of flesh with his tongue and lips. Sucking a nipple into his mouth and Mia gasped, arching her back as her hips started up a rocking motion over his crotch. Feeling the hard length of him between her thighs but it just wasn't creating the friction she needed. 

"Shannnne." It's a whining sound from her lips and Shane only chuckles and shuffles them about till she's on her back and he's hovering over her. Hands tugging and pulling on the shorts over her hips as he seals his lips to hers and steals her breath away. 

He's barely got her shorts down to her knees before his hand dives into her folds. Thick fingers quickly so long into her with little warning. It used to scare him, thinking he might hurt her like that so suddenly. But she only moans louder, velvet walls clenching down around his digits. Slick nearly pouring from her cunt and coating his fingers and Palm. 

"Fuck... So wet for me." He grunts against her neck, his hips moving against her thigh for pressure as slick vulgar sounds come from her. 

"Shane... Stop teasing..." She's shaking, body trembling beneath his powerful one. Pliant in his hands and begging for more, more of him. 

"Ask baby." His fingers moving faster, thumb rubbing a circle around her clit making her hips jump and lips gasp. His free hand holding her down on her abdomen, putting pressure so she keeps still. 

"Shane please.." He grins and moves his hand a bit further down. She grunts and her thighs tense up, getting close. 

"You know what to say." Hand a little bit lower, right above her mound. Palm pressing harder. Fingers moving faster, curling inside to rub at her gspot. Her walls fluttering like crazy. 

"Daddy can I cum? Please?!" She's clawing at his wrist, his arms. Anything she can grab onto as he keeps her pinned. Putting heavy pressure on her lower abdomen, thumb flicking her clit. 

Shane smirks hungrily and pic he's her clit, his hand holding her down with a heaviness as she screams out. Her cunt tight and flexing as he quickly rubs at her clit. Mias panting and whimpering and he knows she has more in her. And as she groans out a feral guttural sound she squirts all over his wrist and fingers. 

"Good girl." His hand releases her and he brings the other to his lips. Watches her eyes as they try to fight the heavy lust haze over her as he tastes her sweetness. 

Her chest is heaving and she knows that normally that would satisfy any woman the way Shane could finger a girl. She never squirted until Shane made her that first time and every time since then was by his touch. But it wasn't enough for her high libido. She needs him. 

"Daddy..." She's too far gone to slip back out of that mindset. Right now Shane's Daddy and she needs his dick. Plain and fucking simple. 

"Okay okay." Shane leans up. Kisses over her jaw to her lips as he shimmies out of his pants and boxers. Pushes her shorts fully off her lean legs and hitches her knee onto his hip. 

"Please.." That orgasm took a lot of energy from her, Shane knows that from previous experience. She's barely able to keep her eyes open but he still feels the heat coming from her cunt. The slick seeping from her entrance as he rubs his cock against her. 

"Shhh be a good girl now." Shane nips at her throat as he pushes in, grunting at the tightness of her walls and the blazing heat inside of her. Closing his eyes as he moves slowly. 

Mia claws at his back, pushing up his shirt that's still on to get her nails into his skin. Arching and squirming under him as her body becomes alive again. Every time he bottoms out she whines and writhes. And every time he bites at her soft flesh to leave hickies and marks over her. 

He loves the way she loves against him. Pressing every inch of her she can get to every inch of him. Her nails leaving claw marks up and down his back. His teeth marking her flesh. Tit for tat in their sex life. He loves how much she wanted sex. And wasn't afraid to demand it of him. He didn't mind sinking into her pussy every day at all, not at all. 

She's close, he can feel it the way she's whimpering. Her thighs tight on his hips and balls of her feet digging into his lower back. Her teeth biting into her bottom lip making it red and swollen. 

Shane speeds up, slamming into her roughly. Knowing the harder he fucks her the more she screams and tighter she gets. "Come on, be a good girl and cum baby." He grunts into her lips.

Finally, finally their both sweating and gasping for breath. His weight barely held off of her by his elbows. Drops of sweat dripping from his chin and nose as he smirks down at Mia. Blue eyes heavy and sated stare up at him as she tries to even her own breathing. 

"I love you." She reaches up and cups his face in her hands, kissing his lips lightly as he closes his eyes and nuzzles into her neck. 

He says it softly, barely a whisper into her skin. But she hears it and smiles. Wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him close to her naked sweat slick chest.

The cop and the whore.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are Love
> 
> Comments are Life


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